Alice in Wonderland
by iEXIST
Summary: She was the beauty and he was the creep. She said something and he liked it. Though they tried to avoid each other, they still messed up. She just can't help liking him when he comes everyday with useless excuses to see her. AlicexMasquerade Completed!
1. my eyes, your eggs

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 1**

**My eyes, your eggs**

"Wow… Creepy" the light blue haired girl muttered as the picture flashed onto her computer. "Hey Alice… You should come see this" she called over to her friend and guest.

The red-ginger haired girl looked up from the magazine she was reading and walked over to the computer placing the paper stack on the PC. "Oh my" she commented as she placed a hand to cover her mouth while observing the picture.

"I always knew Masquerade was a creep but now I know he's off the charts when you compare him to monsters!" the pitchy silver haired practically shrieked into the web cam.

Runo murmured a small agreement as she listened to the comments from the rest of the brawlers that were online, the whole group was!

"Who got the picture?" Dan's voice asked through the speakers. "I outta find the guy and give him a something worth millions! He sure did do a great job of punching the living daylights outta that freak behind the mask and bring proof!" The rest of the brawlers laughed while Shun shook his head and Alice simply smiled.

"Oh Danny you're so funny" Julie commented and Runo rolled her eyes. "By the way Marucho, where did you find this picture?"

"It was mailed to me" the youngest in the group replied.

"I don't know" Alice also decided to join in the conversation "I think his eyes are beautiful" she honestly spoke up and immediately all grins and laughs fell as they all stared blankly onto their computer screens while Runo turned around in her seat to get a better look at Alice, gaping at her. The red haired girl immediately realized her slip and her eyes widened. Her hands flew to her mouth covering it as her eyes traveled all around the room.

"Never mind" Dan lowly said, his eyes disbelievingly staring at the prettiest girl in town. "Anyway, night guys, I've gotta go, I have school tomorrow" and the small screen that held his face blacked out and was removed from the computer screen.

"No Dan, no Julie" the dark skinned girl signed "Bye guys" and she logged off as well.

"I have to leave too" Shun's voice added and his face disappeared too.

"No good chatting to myself" Runo muttered and signed out of the chat room. Then she turned to see Alice still staring at the picture that Marucho had sent to her. The host also gave it one last careful look before closing it.

It was a picture taken by some kid who seemed to have been battling Masquerade. As the story went, the creep had sent off his Bakugan to the Doom Dimension. The kid was short tempered and maybe God doesn't even know how he got near the blonde but he punched the masked villain square in the glass of his mask aiming for his eyes. His mask cracked from there and tip of it broke. Another brawler who was with him during the battle snapped a shot of it. Now he had proudly displayed it on every Bakugan sight he could find. This was a rare glimpse of his face.

His mask wasn't completely broken, only one of the glasses was broken but from the top, its lower part was still miraculously attached. The only thing visible was his eye. And it wasn't a pretty sight either with red color covering half of it; the color of his blood, the rest of his eye was sore pink. The glass also had a stream of the red fluid. It was the shade of his eye that was the most visible; it seemed as if it was bulging out from the blood. It was a mixture of strange colors, green and blue, maybe some grey and brown too with strange yellow streaks. You couldn't exactly point out the color combo.

_Poor guy_ The Russian red head thought to her-self as she began reading through the magazine again. Runo had sensed her uncomfortably shifting so she didn't push the 'beautiful-eyes' subject and simply changed her clothes to her night dress.

"Monday alarm! Monday alarm!" Runo jokingly said as she jumped into bed. Alice understood her message and took out the mattress from under the bed and went to change as well. Soon the lights turned out and both girls went to sleep.

Alice woke up early as usual. Runo was getting ready for school. Both girls exchanged a greeting. The blue haired teen rushed off with some friends and Alice started setting the tables and preparing the kitchen. There were often early morning visitors, kids from nearby schools and people buying a quick snack before running out to work.

It was past ten and business was slow today. Mrs. Masaki checked the refrigerator and found the eggs finished.

"I'll go buy some more" Alice volunteered as she suddenly popped up from behind the woman. She just needed an excuse to get out of the restaurant. The weather outside was beautiful and staying in here was a shame.

"Buy a few dozen" she handed Alice all the money and a basket to carry the ingredients in "Here is a small shopping list too"

Double checking the money and the need for any more things the girl rushed out side barely hearing Mrs. Masaki's thanks and good-bye.

"What a beautiful day to be outside!" She cheered and mentally congratulated herself. Calculating the distances she decided to walk back while taking the bus there. It would give her some exercise too. The shopkeepers were quick to recognize her and the waitress set off considerably soon.

On the way she came across a park for small children. Alice couldn't help but stop and stare at the empty play ground. She didn't really expect anyone to be here on a Monday morning but the view of children playing was far better then gawking at an empty place. Right now she felt like running over to the slide and playing on it all over again like she did in her childhood. Unknowingly she did take a few steps inside but immediately came back out and began her journey back to the restaurant with quick hasty steps. The others might be getting impatient. She knew she wouldn't be enjoying the weather for long.

As the girl practically ran she remained unobservant of the eyes that watched her with slight amusement moving with her in the cover of the trees.

Just then Alice made a mistake that she dreaded most, especially when returning from grocery shopping and when her basket seemed to be full of eggs. One of the pavement's blocks was slightly bulging out and the toe of her heeled shoes connected with it. She wasn't ready for was such an event so she tripped. It was almost as if in slow motion, a loud gasp, followed by her hand loosening on the basket and releasing it. Her hair swishing in front of her face as the pavement floor began to come closer and closer to her face.

Not good.

She felt a grip on her arm and somebody yanked it. Pain shot out on her shoulder and the arm joint. The pavement seemed to go more and more far away and she realized she was being helped to her feet, but that didn't change the fact that the eggs were busted and the money gone to waste.

A hand shoved something in her face but she didn't seem to identify it immediately as her vision tried to clear itself from the multi colored things she was seeing floating in front of her. She blinked. That was her basket… and all of its contents were inside it… save a few.

"Thank you so much" she turned to face her hero while taking the basket away gently and ended up staring at a reflection of her own eyes. Then it hit her like a bullet through the brain – "Masquerade!" Her head began to swirl with emotions and her eyes gave her away; fear, confusion, pity and a strange sparkle. She immediately remembered the picture that had become so popular on the internet recently, a picture of his busted eye. Her mouth remained open but no words came out.

"Hey, a fly might move in" never in her life had she heard his voice, well never in real life at least. And computers did alter the voice a slight bit. But she did feel the comment funnier then an insult and a smile pasted itself on her face. Next thing she knew, he was gone, vanished in thin air. The weight of the basket suddenly pulled her hand to her side and she realized he wasn't holding it any more, it didn't feel so light anymore, so duh.

Signing she looked around for any bystanders and found none. Thanking the heavens that majority of the eggs survived she picked up the fallen vegetables and started back, more carefully this time. But not before looking around one more time for any sign of him.

"Sorry Mrs. Masaki, I tripped on the way and…" the sentence trailed from there.

"Ah no need to worry dear, knowing that you're staying up with Runo I knew she was bound to leave some effect on you, I guess you're catching her clumsiness" and the older woman burst into laughter. The Russian simply nodded her head whilst smiling. "Funny though most of our orders today were for eggs and we lost many of our customers" she added.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Masaki"

And then as usual, business walked at turtle pace. Alice wasn't stupid; she knew the cooking here was horrible. On Mondays Mr. Masaki cooked, he cooked on every alternate day while on Tuesdays and alternatively, Mrs. Masaki cooked and they had comparatively much more customers, to tell the truth, other restaurants locally were better then this little family one.

There weren't many customers so her duty was very light, almost unneeded. And she used this time thoughtfully. All the while as she was smiling and nodding, but her insides were burning with questions._ Why? Why would he come to me? I'm not even a brawler_.

When Runo came back Alice was mentally debating whether to tell her about the incident or not. She decided against it. It was too embarrassing and pointless. Runo wasted no time and immediately went online checking for mails.

Masquerade silently sat in front of his computer. His hand wasn't on the mouse clicking away rather it was simply crossed across his chest, tangled with the other one. His head was heavy with thoughts. What he couldn't shake away was the humiliation, the picture that had somehow appeared out of nowhere. Next time he would be sure to battle only kid at a time, not two.

All over the web brawlers were congratulating the photographer and the stubborn puncher. The blonde felt sick whenever he saw any comment on that picture. He checked with the battle brawlers that day to see if they had the picture and sure enough one of them had it, he had forwarded it to the rest of the group and everyone had had a good laugh. They drove him over the edge until that red haired one spoke up. He had never paid any attention to her, she was useless, and she didn't even brawl. But she caught him by surprise, and she caught him good.

"_I think his eyes are beautiful"_

His head was continuously running with her soft voiced comment. Whether she said it out of pity or honesty, it was affection to him.

He simply got up pushing away the chair on which he was sitting. He wasn't going to waste more time thinking about what was done and what was to be ignored. He walked numbly and silently back the way he came.

His hand carefully gripped one of the glasses of his mask and he slid the mask off his face, examining his eye in the mirror. A smirk came onto his face. One of his fingers went up and brushed against the delicate part. He winced. Putting the mask back on he fixed it in place. It wasn't broken anymore, it was fixed. The mask was like a face to him now. His mouth twitched as he recalled comments about his… looks… Fools, they were. He was beating them all up now, sending each one on his knees begging for mercy. The scary smirk came back.

**End Chapter 1**

Well, that's just the start but please don't turn back if you think it's boring because this was pretty much the only start I could think of. Things will get better soon ^^

And I know that Alice is supposed to like Shun and all but I'm kind of twisting it in this fiction. Shun will have his fair part too… somewhere ^^

Thank you.


	2. Delicate Touch of Evil

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so we'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i.

**Disclaimer: **Yes, as any other person on this site, I do not own The Battle Brawlers.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 2**

**Delicate Touch of Evil**

Alice was sitting on one of the rotating stools, her face cupped in her hands while her elbows were propped on the wooden counter. Her eyes half closed. She wasn't feeling sleepy, simply deep in thought.

"School was horrible!" Runo's complain voiced out throughout the empty restaurant. "I had to go to the teacher for help! I can't believe it! That results in loss of grades if you waste too much of their time! Jeez, they should hire better teachers" Alice sat up straight to greet the terror stricken girl whom had just returned from school.

"Hello Runo"

"Oh, hi Alice" The blue haired girl slumped her bag on one of the tables. "What's for lunch?" Seeing the Russian pull vegetables from the refrigerator was enough a scene for Runo's stomach to stop complaining "Well, I feel so full today! Hey, why aren't any customers here?"

Alice smiled "Your parents left for a convention" Seeing the school going raise a brow Alice continued "They were invited to a convention. The restaurant was closed today"

"It was open in the morning"

"Yes, it closed after twelve o'clock"

"Alright!" Runo cheered and attacked the fridge preparing an extra large sandwich for her self as the red haired girl gawked at her. It was clear where she had gotten that appetite from "Oh! Do you want me to make you one?"

"No thank you Runo, I've had my lunch" Alice replied as she began to put back the things the other girl had smuggled out.

"Hey, Masquerade just beat another three kids at our school. They were crying like babies! One of them lost his talking bakugan. I felt so bad for him… if I ever lost my Tigrerra…" Silence.

Yes, but that wasn't bothering Alice. It was guilt or fright or something very, very close to it. While putting the things back in the fridge she noticed her hands were shaking.

_**Flashback**_

The Masaki's had left for the convention in a rush, telling Alice to take the day off. And what exactly was she supposed to do? She didn't know. Maybe she should call Julie and the two could have some girl-to-girl time… She quickly decided against it. Julie would eat her head away talking about _Dan._

Or she could take a stroll of the neighborhood, but for how long? Or she could go to the park and sit there watching the… trees move with the wind? What if there was no breeze today? Thinking about it didn't sound very exciting.

She could _try _improving her drawing! Yes! Alice went upstairs, grabbing her notebook and stationary pouch, she walked to the park. As she stood at the gate with her eyes closed, an image of Masquerade zapped into her head and went away just the way it had come. Her eyes opened again, revealing her dark colored orbs. Maybe she shouldn't be here.

She hadn't noticed but there were kids in the park. Today was Saturday and Runo's school had been on for some odd reason but many other were closed, so that could explain the population.

Alice chose a distant bench and settled herself there. Opposite her was a cluster of large flowers. Smiling, she opened her book, going through some old writings and pictures, poor attempts of making birds and domestic animals. She could draw flowers at least.

Just then, from the corner of her eye she caught something. Looking up just in time to see two young men call out for the battle fields to open. And one of them just happened to be "Masquerade" she gasped. So he was here! They were right; he was taking down brawlers from this locality. After the attacks on Marucho's friends, Runo and Dan's friends it should've been enough to make her believe but a sight with her own eyes was more satisfying.

A bright light flashed and she got up to move towards the two. For a second she felt frozen. Then she was moving again. The other boy was on his knees, calling for his gone bakugans and Masquerade stood there with a smug look on his face.

The blond let out a small light laugh and turned around taking out a card from somewhere under his jacket. The hand that held the strange card remained at his side for a while as he walked a few steps and as he began to raise his occupied hand someone grabbed it from the wrist. He didn't move a muscle after that as a familiar scent registered in his senses.

Alice was slightly surprised at her actions. Why she was holding Masquerade was beyond her. Maybe it was the fact he was a guy and she a girl and it was natural for them to hold hands. Maybe she was holding him so he wouldn't get away, to do more evil stuff, you know. Maybe she wanted to give him a piece of her mind, say something to him.

Beautiful hair! Looks so silky when it's moving in the wind! Alice turned crimson. Her hold on his wrist loosened a bit. No, no, no! She wasn't thinking that.

Nice dress sense! Gwah!

"What do you want?" Alice was dragged back to reality and she noticed that the other hadn't moved an inch. She on the other hand was standing a bit more sloppily.

"Uh… I think … you …uh" don't deserve to play bakugan EVER again! But she couldn't find the courage to say anything out loud. One second she was holding his wrist and the next he was holding hers. Her eyes widened. He was facing her. He held her hand in the air unlike the way she had held it by his side. Her fingers were wide open in shock.

"You brawlers think you're so smart. That you can get away with anything just because you have Daniel and Draco at your side. But let me remind you that Dragoniod and I will more of a match then you think_ dear_ Alice" Her hand still remained captive and she felt his grip getting tighter. She gave it a light tug in a feeble attempt to free it only to feel his grip tighten. Today she learned a very valuable, life long lesson, boys… are scary…

"I…" What was she going to say after that? She didn't even know why he was so angry. Why he had said all of THAT, when obviously nothing had come out of her mouth, had she said "What shampoo do you use?" how much gel do you use or something else about him out loud. She didn't think so.

Masquerade cringed. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Wha-" Alice stared at him surprised. "I… I didn't say a-anything"

If his mask hadn't been on, she would've seen one of his eye brows raise up. "What shampoo do I use?" he enlightened. Alice turned beet red. She couldn't believe it. She said that out loud! Oh Lord! The heavens must be laughing at her. Why her? Didn't they have someone else to pick on, why now? "Well…" Masquerade started "You obviously have _much _prettier and longer hair, why don't you tell me what shampoo you use?"

The girl had her lips sealed, tightly pressed against one another. "I didn't mean to say that…" was the only reply she could think of. "I… I… I think that…uh… kindness…um… never goes unrewarded" Now that was totally lame and random! If she could've been able to see the face that she'd made… It would've been the end of the world. So Masquerade gave a slight chuckle in her place.

"Kindness?" creepy smile "Do you want me to let go?" He saw the fear that was beginning to grow in her eyes. Okay, so first she's determined, then she goes all red, then she becomes dreamy, then red again and then scared? She was one weird girl. "Do you think I'll hurt you?" He asked with a strangely mocking tone.

Maybe. But her mouth was wise enough to stay shut. "Uh…" She searched for words.

After Masquerade had saved her eggs she begun to see him in a new light, and now, that light was quickly fading away. He was so evil. No wonder kids were scared of him. Though admit-tingly, up close he was attractive, in the neat and mysterious kind of way, kind of scary too.

"You're turning red" Masquerade taunted and Alice gave a final attempt to try and budge her hand free. Nope. Holding a boy's hand wasn't really as dreamy as she thought it would be. She took in a deep breath.

_I never mean to hurt any body, not ever, but now… _"I'm sorry" and her foot stomped down on Masquerade's.

"Ah!" He gave a surprised call and immediately let go of her. Her shoe was high heeled and it sure did hit hard. The red head jumped away from him.

"Sorry" She called again and ran past him. The blonde groaned and turned to stare at her back as the girl kept running. Jeez… she wasn't much of a runner. He rolled his eyes. He didn't feel like chasing her down, she didn't brawl, and he couldn't hit a girl. He would get back at her some other way.

Then his eyes caught a bright pink colored book on the side bench. Curious, he walked over and picked it up, noticing the lead pencil and an eraser on the ground as well. Who ever it belonged to sure left in a hurry. He opened the cover and a witty smile climbed onto his face. Written in bright glittery colors was Alice's name. He closed it and looked up to the direction he had seen to girl run off to. She was standing, in quite a distance. Staring at him and he could sense her shock from this far.

"Hey!" He waved her notebook in the air. "Finders keepers!" He saw her hand extend but then she quickly turned on her heel and ran off.

_**Flashback Close**_

Alice took in a deep breath. She wasn't scared, maybe a slight bit. That notebook had many personal things. Not like complete stories but small paragraphs that meant a lot to her. It had many pictures that hadn't been shown to anyone. Her only friend that did manage to see them was sworn to secrecy.

And her art was horrible! She was already picturing Masquerade making his day by going through her book. Ah! Why did she have to run over to him? Couldn't she live with just staying where she was? She intended to go over and tell him to straighten up, to stop picking on kids and their bakugan, and she ended up handing him her closest, most precious possession!

She didn't write diaries, she took notes and that book was filled with notes! She buried her head in her hands as her face began to glow pink. She had been blushing a lot lately. Being near a boy wasn't a fairytale, now she knew. Dan felt like a brother, Marucho was too young and Shun always kept his distance so she never really did get close to a 'male'. Her friends back at Russia were all girls. Alice let out a loud moan.

"Earth to Alice!" Runo's voice cut through her thoughts. The red head looked up to meet bright green eyes gazing at her curiously. "You've been zoning out on me all day!"

"What? Oh, I'm so sorry Runo, It's just… Can I talk to you about something?" She had to drop the feeling or else she might bring chaos upon herself. She needed someone's assurance that everything was going to be fine and she was going to get her diary back, by a miracle of course.

"I need to ask you a favor first" The light blue haired girl said as her finger made circles on the wooden counter.

"Yes…"

"Alice… I know you like dancing, well, at least you like watching it" Seeing Alice opening her mouth Runo immediately cut in "I mean two-two, waltz?" the other nodded. "Can you, uh, teachDanhowtodance!!!?"

Alice blinked. "I'm sorry Runo, I didn't understand"

"Can you… teach Dan… to dance?" Alice's jaw dropped. What the hell did she miss? "I just told you about the school dance" Runo complained. Oh, of course, she wasn't listening… "I really want him to come with me but the idiot doesn't know a single step! Please Alice… This dance means a lot to me…"

"Of course Runo… anything" _I can use this as a distraction_. She defiantly could. After all, she had to get the blonde creep and her beloved note book out of her head some way. Teaching Dan would be most interesting. If he agreed that is.

**End Chapter 2**

I know some of you might be thinking "Aww come on! Who goes nuts over a stupid book" But let me tell you this VERY important piece of news…

I DO!

A month back I lost my diary, I don't write day to day accounts just take small notes on things and many of them are very personal and I also draw pictures around them (but my drawing is okay). So when I couldn't find it I was went insane! I was running and screaming around the house and then my brother gave it to me. He thought it was a filled rough copy and had thrown it away. He actually pulled it out of the dustbin. I gave him a few knocks for looking through my stuff, and even now I can't look him in the eyes with this thought that he might have read some thing in there (I didn't write anything about him but many things about people he knew)

So, I hope that answers that question.

I think girls are actually protective about their personal notes… So going back to topic…

Masquerade is going to visit someone the next time! And Alice is soon going to become a teacher. Well… I think that's already been made obvious.


	3. Dance to the diary

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so we'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i.

**Disclaimer: **Yes, as any other person on this site, I do not own The Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 3**

**Dance to the Diary**

Alice casually walked on the side walk by Runo's side. Her head was continuously revising the dialogues her friend had pasted in it as she made her way to Marucho's place where the entire group was hanging on this Sunday. Her eyes were scanning every face. Every time her vision caught a sight of bright wild hair she would immediately turn to that person. She was seeing Masquerade's face on every blonde's body. It was kind of funny actually but to her it was dead serious.

_I have to stop this! _Her hands tightened to fists _I can't go on like this. I'm never going to see Masquerade again so I have nothing to worry about. _She took a deep breath to calm herself _He is the enemy! _Her eyes closed for a while and when she opened them again she felt a bit more normal _yes… he is the enemy. It's not like he would come over and give it back to me, he is the enemy._

Her face began smiling again.

When they reached Marucho's '_house'_ they were immediately escorted to the room where the rest of the group was. The huge polished wooden doors were pushed open and they entered a hall sized room. There were they all!

Shun as usual leaning against the wall, deep in thought. And that was the only thing normal…

Marucho was sitting on the large couch, laughing to his death and in between the room there stood Dan and Julie. Both were glowing like tomatoes. Dan's hands were resting on her bare waist and Julie had hers placed on his shoulders. The small blonde kid turned on the TV and the two youngsters started moving in a desperate attempt to dance, trying to copy the professionals in the video.

Runo burst out laughing and then the others realized the entrance of the missing two girls. Though Alice couldn't help but notice the forced pitch in her laugh.

Immediately Dan and Julie pushed away from each other and the girl ran to the other two. "Hi girls! Am I glad to see you!" Runo had one hand placed on her stomach and she hung on Julie's shoulder for support to keep herself from falling to the floor and her laughing continued, now it sounded more fresh as she replayed the silly scene in her head over and over again.

"Life's a blast!" Runo commented as she tried to straighten up. And after a while she did manage to succeed. "Hey, how many times did you two step on each other's feet? You two were stumbling all through!" she snickered as Dan nervously scratched the back of his head while Julie 'humph'-ed and looked away.

The girls sat down on the couch opposite Marucho as Dan himself sprawled onto one of the couches. "So Dan" Runo started "Are you going to the school dance, I'm making a guess" she teasingly asked.

"I don't think I want to end up falling over the tables, I'd rather stay home or-"

"But you have to go to the dance!"

Dan's raised a brow "It's not compulsory…" He saw the green eyeed girl twitch. "Oh come on Runo, you know how to dance and I don't and let's just face it, you're a terrible teacher!" Before the said girl could chew his head off Alice grabbed her hand settled her back down.

"I can teach you Dan" Alice smiled. Everyone stared at the Russian including Shun.

"I dunno…"

"She's a great teacher and an even better dancer!" Runo boasted and Alice bowed her head at the comment, slightly embarrassed.

Then the dialogues went exactly as Runo had told her. Dan in offence and Alice in defense and the red head won.

"Should I turn on the recording?" Marucho's voice suddenly spoke up.

"No thank you Marucho, some music would be nice" And on cue slow soft music filled the room.

Dan made a face "We'll be moving to that?"

"It's a school dance moron not a pop competition" Runo complained. Alice shook her head whilst smiling. All eyes remained on the two as Alice started explaining the basics to him.

"So, what's the theme of the whole function?" Julie asked as she watched the two move slowly and Dan kept tumbling out of position.

"I don't know, I think some senior teacher got married or something, what ever it is, it had something to do with the high staff. Teachers are requested to attend too"

"Oh, sounds exciting" Julie smiled as she eyed Shun. Maruho looked up surprised as Julie got up from beside him and sat down next to Runo. She whispered something in the other's ear and she nodded. Both girls giggled as they kept looking between Dan and Alice and else where around the room. Well, what ever it was, it was girly business and he couldn't get involved.

The large screen TV was turned on behind the couple and everybody gaped at them as they fluently moved like the people on the device, in the exact same pose as well, actually Alice moved more like her character while Dan was slipping over and over.

"See Dan, as simple as that. This kind of dance has almost nothing to it" Runo said and the rest of the group started clapping. Alice also pulled away from him and started clapping as the embarrassed dark eyed boy grinned and made some awkward gestures.

"Well done Dan" Alice smiled "I'm proud of you"

"Dan has once again achieved the impossible" Marucho added and the entire group laughed.

"Well…" the brunette grinned "Thanks Alice… and Julie"

"Who's your date to the dance?" Alice asked as she turned to face Dan.

"Well I was thinking-"

"Can I please come? I really want to see your school" Julie pleaded. Runo rolled her eyes.

"It's for students only"

"Really?" Dan asked.

"YES!"

Alice looked around the room as the two began to bicker. "Well then. I guess it's going to be Dan and Runo" Julie said lightly with a small smile.

"Huh?"

Alice dropped onto on of the seats of the restaurant. It had been a horrible day. Yes, teaching Dan was fun but the aftermath was extreme. Dan hadn't exactly learned it to perfection, but enough to keep himself from stepping on his date's foot and from getting embarrassed. Not forget to mention when she was teaching him the other girls couldn't stop giggling. Did they think something was going on between her and him? Hopefully not because Dan already had a long following of girls and that included the two laughing ones.

Alice supported her forehead in her hand as her elbow settled on the table. After finding out Runo was left to be his partner Dan refused to go to the dance. That ended in a bitter quarrel because Runo was really looking forward to it. It took a lot from everyone to keep the girl from tearing the strongest link in the team to shreds. Both girls came back disappointed and Runo wasted no time in rushing upstairs. Alice could still hear the dropping of things and the doors slamming.

Boy, how were they going to explain this to the owners? Maybe she should go up and try to stop the girl before she brought down the house.

"Dan will rot in HELL!"

Alice cringed. Maybe she should wait till the other calmed down a bit.

"Hey, what's with her?" Alice's head snapped up at the voice and she automatically stood up, her hands on the table as she looked around the empty restaurant. As she looked on the serving counter her eyes nearly blew out of their sockets. There sat Masquerade on the inside of the counter, where Mr. Masaki would stand. And the blonde was helping himself preparing a sandwich. "Hi!" He greeted as Alice began to feel dizzy. This didn't feel right.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Her quivering voice asked. She stepped out of the spot she was standing in.

"I'm hungry" He said simply as he held up the knife he was holding with which he was spreading the mayonnaise on the bread.

"No… What are you doing here?" She asked and her hands held the side of the table as she leaned against it.

"AH!" He mocked a gasp as one of his hands placed itself on his chest. "Are you saying you don't remember?" Alice frowned "Hey, did anyone ever tell you that you look cute when you do that" he said as he placed his chin on one of his hands while his other hand pointed towards her with the knife.

Her cheeks grew a light pink in color as she looked away from him.

"Here" he said and Alice looked up to see him holding her pink book. She gasped, she had completely forgotten about it. "I figured you might want it back"

She slowly walked over to the counter. The knife was still in his hand. Maybe he was idiot or something but he was spreading the mayonnaise with a meat cutting knife. Or maybe he was going to… murder her. She did hit him hard on the foot. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she heard Runo yell another insult to Dan.

Masquerade had a very strange smug look on his face as he twirled the knife in his hand. Then he noticed it. He was twirling the knife. Oh! That's why the Russian girl was so hesitant on coming over and taking her possession back. He should've hid it under the counter or at least have taken the time to find a butter knife, she wouldn't have been suspicious that way. When she was standing exactly opposite him, right on the other side of the counter, he raised the freshly sharpened object. A look of utter horror crossed the girl's face…

**End Chapter 3**

CLIFFHANGER!

I kinda HAD to remove the bakugans from the picture. I just didn't feel they'd fit. Honestly I didn't remember their correct spelling.

And I think you guys already know whether he's going to hit her or not… It's always the same… So I was planning on getting it a little twisted… just thinking about it…

Evil…


	4. A day like no Other

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so we'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i.

**Disclaimer: **Yes, as any other person on this site, I do not own The Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 4**

**A day like no other**

He raised the freshly sharpened object. A look of utter horror crossed the girl's face as he threw it. However, he simply hit it on the wooden counter and the knife got stuck there, standing like a tilted tower.

Alice took in deep breaths trying to regain her normal heart beat.

"Aw, come on!" Masquerade whined "Just because I'm a bad guy doesn't mean I'd go to that many extremes! Sending bakugans away keeps me satisfied enough" He tried to remove the knife "Stuck" he muttered "Besides, I don't want the world to have another reason to hate me or should I specially say someone's name?" he smirked.

"Y-You shouldn't be here"

Masquerade got up from the stool he was sitting on pushing it away and leaned forward on the counter, though he was much cautious; after getting hit by that stupid boy and being stomped on by this girl, he kept his safe distance, people were so unpredictable these days.

"If I tell you I read it… what would you do?"

Alice trembled. _No_. _please… no, don't let it be…_ "D-Did you?"

He smiled "Depends on your answer" There was complete silence. Then the breaking of something from upstairs followed by Runo screaming something like "GET LOST!" Alice's head shot up to the direction of the stairway. Maybe Dan was here, apologizing to her. But he didn't enter, so he must be at her window, either that or she was talking to herself. "Well?" Masquerade asked.

"…" The blonde intruder watched the red head with an amused look as she took a few steps back. Grabbed a stool, placed it where she was standing and sat down on it. Her hands were both placed on the counter as she tried to see through his mask. Then the unexpected…

Desperation calls for extreme measures, and an extreme measure she took. Masquerade didn't see it coming, it didn't match her character. He was actually expecting a slap across the face or for her to start crying. When he jumped back to reality Alice was in some shock as well.

She had actually stepped on the stool and tackled Masquerade head on! It was comical scene for any witness but there weren't anyway. Now she sat there, straddling his waist her hands pushing down his shoulders. His mouth was open and nothing was spilling out. Alice had on a serious look but her cheeks were bright with the rush of blood.

Masquerade stuck out his tongue and Alice's head felt a shock of surprise. "Here" he held up his hand which had her pink book and gently hit her arm with it. Alice gratefully took it and opened it to her last entry. "Will it hurt you if I ask you get off, cause it's hurting me right now. You're lucky I didn't spill out my guts on you... neither my breakfast"

"Uh? Sorry" before she could stand up she heard the front door of the restaurant open. A feeling of dread crossed her. They were slow, hesitant footsteps. She heard their even sound as they began to ascend the stairs and faded out of earshot.

"It's Dan" Masquerade said. She got up smiling a smile of victories. Masquerade observed her for a few seconds then brushed the imaginary dust off him after he stood up. He stole a glance at her again to see her going through the book over and over again. His mouth pushed itself to the side of his face as he shook his head. "By the way" he started as he braced himself for impact "I took a picture, and I think you might want to go through your 'like' list again because Shun doesn't really belong to the top… You know, I think his hair style is kind of weird, I mean which guy in his right mind would have waist length hair in summers?!"

Alice loudly gasped with shock written all over and a face turned red. She let out a cry and raised the book over her head. Masquerade grinned. She took a step towards him and tried to hit him with it, but he jumped back and easily dodged it. He let out a small laugh and gave another comment on the ninja's hair.

"Masquerade!" Alice called disapprovingly as a feisty look came on her face and she tried to hit him again steeping forward as he took backward steps easily dodging her blows.

"Come on cutie, that's the best you got? You've got Michael's blood!" At the mention of her grandfather her blood pressure jumped the roof and she mustered all her energy. How dare him! And then he calls her… something! She let out a low war cry and brought it smashing down on his head. A small, unnatural smirk came on her face and she removed the book only to have her eyes widen again.

"Dan?! Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! Are you hurt?"

"You think?" He asked annoyed "What were you doing anyway?"

"Uh… swatting… a … fly…?" She shot him an innocent smile and her shoulders raised up as her smile grew, she tried to contaminate her laughter at the bump that was coming out of Dan's head. Surly she hadn't hit THAT hard.

"Well… ya missed!"

"Sorry Dan… What happened up there?" She asked as her curiosity suddenly piped in.

The sore look on the brunette's face changed into a beaming ear to ear grin. "We're cool"

"Oh" Alice breathed as she placed a hand on her rising chest "That's wonderful Dan, I'm so happy for you both"

"…uh… we're not dating or anything Alice, it's just a dance, just one evening" Alice smiled. Sure, what ever you say Dan. If only she had said that out loud. But of course she wasn't buying it. The glimmering and far off look that came into his eyes when he mentioned the dance was very noticeable.

"I'm just happy that everything is settled. I hope the two of you enjoy it to the best"

The rest of the day went undoubtfully great! Wonderful! Splendid! Never before had a day turned out to be so fabulous. Dan had made it up to Runo and both spend the rest of the time happy as ever. Alice had gotten her diary back and she immediately jotted down the first thing she felt, closing the book without taking another look at what she had written.

The sun slowly began to set down, going to rest as it would everyday. The sky was like a painting, so unreal and majestic – orange, pink, red – it had turned everything on the Earth to match its colors. A hand reached out for it but the owner put his hand back down on the grass as he lay on the soft greenery with his other hand pillowing his head. It was quite clear that the sky was unreachable.

A small sigh escaped Masquerade's lips as he sat up. The hand that was behind his head moved to rest in his lap, he was holding something in it. He crushed it but only a small paper like sound came. His grip on it loosened and he opened his palm, letting the balled piece of paper to fall out. For a while it just stayed where it was, moving slightly back and forth with the gentle breeze. Then the masked teen picked it up opening it ever so slowly.

Something got stuck in his throat as he observed the sketch. Untidy, yes, a masterpiece, a big no, but quite understandable what it was. He got up and took a couple of steps back then held up the paper. The exact view! It was as if the artist had come here right at this moment to draw this certain picture, this exact scene… what a coincidence.

The fully green cherry tree with its large shadow. The open view of the standing water. The sun setting behind the trees, it's shade in the water. The large trees that had grown around the water. But the only thing missing from the real life scene that was on the drawing was the couple. The perfectly shadowed couple, their identity hidden, their shadows extended to match the setting sun. The girl with her head resting on her companions shoulder, a male. The close position they were setting in. And here he was, alone.

Well this was his secret place and nobody was welcome here. It was right here in the local park but still nobody had found it out because the children thought that trees were some haunted forest and no adult bothered to cross the place. It was their loss.

He firmly held the glass on his mask and after a while slipped it off. The breeze rubbed against his face and his skin welcomed it greatly. His mouth twitched. And from behind him one couldn't see much except his hand which hung at his side holding his second face with his other hand holding something that he was staring at. His hair moved ever so slightly and so did his long coat. Then he slowly put the mask back on.

…

As the last light went out in the Masaki residence Runo moved a bit in her sleep. Her hand collided with something on the side table and Alice's diary-book fell down. The page that opened up revealed her latest entry.

'_A funny but welcome feeling comes to me when I see Masquerade - butterflies'_

**End Chapter 4**

I hope you guys pictured the scene from the setting sun and stuff. It wasn't there originally but I was listening to this song and I just felt like typing it. I totally heart sunsets. So pretty!

And the ending, well, I just thought I HAD to put it in because when I read other fictions and they write down something to catch the readers curiosity it exciting but then you have to wait until the next update or the next 20 updates to find it out! And then I get annoyed, so I thought, "Hey why not write it down just now?"

So, bye-bye till next time!


	5. The Meeting

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 5**

**The Meeting **

'_A funny but welcome feeling comes to me when I see Masquerade - butterflies'_

Not good. She wasn't feeling that _welcome feeling _anymore. She was feeling dread, scared and haunted. This was his entire fault. If he would've just let her fall it wouldn't have killed him? Of course it would've! How can you live when someone you love has a broken nose? Alice shook her head to get rid of her now disturbing thoughts.

She couldn't think straight. She was better off with Masquerade having her personal book. Looking up she caught a glimpse of Shun sitting right opposite her.

"Is everything alright Alice?" he asked in a low voice "You've been very…out…lately" he didn't look up the way she was looking fully at his face. His hands were fumbling with his brawling balls as she stared blankly at him. He looked up slightly and after catching her look quickly looked down again.

It had been an entire day after Alice had gotten her treasured possession back. '_He knows. He just does. And now he's punishing me for it. He's trying to break through to me_' Alice hadn't been having the most beautiful thoughts about her friends lately. Every time a brawler called her, her heart would skip a beat murmuring 'I've been found out!'

After all the trouble she went through just to get her team to believe she wasn't a spy…this happens! Now they wouldn't believe her at all. Runo would throw her out of the house! She'd be living on the streets! Where Masquerade lived, she wondered.

"Alice" her heart skipped a beat. How long had she been standing behind the counter? She had lost track of time. "Alice? You there?" Runo asked as she waved her hand in front of the red-head's face.

"Yes, yes Runo?" She was trembling internally. She was dying already. Shun was gone. When had he left?

"We need some groceries. Can you go out?"

"Of course"

And she was out of there. Then something struck her. They had intended for that to happen! Why? So that they could sit together and discuss what to do with her- a traitor. If you were a brawler then talking decently with Masquerade was a sin.

What was she thinking! Her mind was screwed up! Only Runo was at the restaurant. Dan was grounded for picking a fight at school. Marucho was at his place with Julie. Shun had been at the restaurant earlier but now he'd left, probably. Or maybe he was following her. No! NO! The guy was too good for that. She took in a deep breath to calm down. They knew nothing and she intended for it to stay that way. Just as a precaution she had brought along her book too.

Masquerade was history the next time she saw him. She didn't brawl but she could deliver a decent punch…pfft, yea right! She couldn't swat a fly! If she did punch him all she would do is fracture her own hand. She was so petite. Her friends in Russia had never stopped mentioning that to her. They always advised her to take self-defense classes. Now she was dreading not listening to them.

"It's not like he'd do anything to me…" she murmured.

"Who'd do anything to you?" she whirled around at the voice. Now was not a good time for him to show up. She needed to think about a few things. She couldn't shake off the smug looking boy in front of her. "Did you miss me? I hoping so because I did read this thing" the blonde said as he waved the pink book. Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

"How? When?"

"Yes, yes" he smiled "Everyone has so many questions for me. What can I say? I'm a famous guy?" if only she could see through his glass mask…life would've been so much easier. She could easily have him tracked down and jailed for harassing her. Not that anything like that was happening soon. Was this harassment? She had to solve her own problems. Good thing her grocery basket was empty.

She held out her hand "Give that back Masquerade" it was supposed to come out as an order instead came out as a plead.

"Why don't you come and get it……… Like last time" and a sly smile came onto his face. Well his mouth was the only part she could see of his face if you minus-ed his nose. Admittingly, he had enjoyed his last encounter with the read head. She caught him completely off guard. But he had this meeting completely planned.

She had been able to take it back before, she could take it again. She took confident steps forward and he didn't like the look in her eye. Looks like there was going to be a slight change in his plans. She was close to him now. Just as her fingers brushed against her possession he pulled it back more, she took a large step forward to retreat it only to have her wrist get caught by his free hand.

Wide eyed with a bright pink face, she remained stiff in her position. If his mask hadn't been on she'd be staring into his eyes. Their noses were almost touching and she could feel his warm breath on her skin, only he couldn't feel hers, it was stuck in her throat. "You'll get your diary back on a condition"

Life wasn't looking very pretty these days. She gulped, he smiled. Suddenly she felt as if someone had thrown a fistful of sand in her eyes and she shut them. When her eyelids reopened her surroundings had changed. Her mouth was dry. The same words were running through her head. How? Why? When? What was going on!?

"Doesn't this panorama look familiar, hmm?" Seeing the dumb folded expression on her face he signed and shook his head. "You drew this scene in this diary of yours" he held up the bright pink book.

"I did?" not that she remembered. She had drawn many things there. A ball of paper hit her in the face and she caught it after a lot of hand flailing. Slowly opening it (let's keep the drama in) she was stunned at the picture. She had seen something familiar in her dream last night. Looking up she could see that the place where she was standing was very, very similar to her drawing. Creepy. That word reminded her of the person standing in front of her.

"Does it ring any bells?" he impatiently inquired. "When did you come here?"

"I've never come here in my entire life" she especially emphasized the word 'entire'. There's nothing wrong with drawing pictures that look awfully similar to real sceneries. Hey! This place could make a good hiding spot for her breakdowns! Sitting in the bathroom gets really sweaty after a while, especially when you're crying with your makeup screwed all over your face and talking to yourself about how worthless your life is. Just thinking about it made her knees go weak. "How is Grandfather Michael?"

Masquerade was slightly taken aback by her question. He least expected her to answer his own. "Ugh…" How was he? Well, he was insane and lately had been acting extra insane. "Great! Never better" he grinned at her. Alice raised a skeptical brow at him. "What?" her expression only hardened "Okay! Okay missy" he held up his hands. "He's a cool guy. He makes these weird cards; teleportation, invisibility, there's even a hacker card. Great guy! Great guy!" he answered in a spirited tone. "Though, frankly speaking, he's very ugly and especially eerie whenever he jumps on me while I'm asleep"

The red head frowned. She remembered. Her only living relative had been turned into some blue green monster who called himself Hal-G. Yes, he was very ugly but she saw beauty inside him. Maybe Masquerade's case was the same. Maybe he too was innocent person who'd been turned into something against his will. Possibilities, possibilities…

After Alice finally managed to break out of her train of thoughts she saw Masquerade had helped himself and was lying down on the grass with his arms folded behind his head, pillowing it. She walked over to him and loomed over his head. From underneath his mask, Masquerade drifted his eyes to look up at her. Yes, she was a sight to the eye. How could that ugly creature have been able to produce such a magnificent granddaughter?

"How many siblings do you have?" Masquerade asked as he sat up and turned his upper body to look at her.

"I don't have any… do you?" Hey, if he could ask, couldn't she?

"nah" he simply answered "I'm happy single"

Just then something rang in the red head's head and she couldn't help but ask. "Do your parents know what you do?"

The blonde stopped breathing. After a while he let out a dry laugh. "It's been a long time since someone asked me about them" Alice furrowed her brows. "They don't know anything" he said smiling as he shook his head "They wouldn't care anyway. They're probably too busy looking after _him_" and he suddenly realized he'd let his emotions loose. "You're a clever one" he smirked as he raised a slender finger in her direction, then out of nowhere he pulled out the pink book that she was desperate to get back. He got up and held it out to her.

"…" her mouth was open and nothing was coming out. This was it? He had brought her here for…this? Nothing happened!

"Seeing as you have absolutely no idea what this place is I'll let you go easy. Your drawing really had me freaked out for a while you know" he took a step closer. She was stiff as a board "Here" he was holding it out and she wasn't taking it back. "If you don't want it I can always-"

"Nonononono!" she immediately snatched it. "T-Thank you"

He didn't reply, simply stuffed his hands in his pockets and vanished. Alice pouted. What kind of a guy had the nerve to abandon a girl? Just then she felt something in her eyes again. She began to rub them in order to soothe them. Hot air was rubbing against her bare arms as it moved past her.

When her eyes reopened, she was at the market.

**End Chapter 5**

Yea…I think the chapter turned out to be neutral. So it stops here. I think it makes for a nice ending here. You know…standing in the middle of the crowd with a confused look, turning around and around. Perfection!

. Yes, it ends here……

Till next time! Ta-ta!

P.S. There's going to be some dancing very, very soon.


	6. Alice's Secret BF

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 6**

**Alice's Secret BF**

A week had now passed since Alice's last encounter with Masquerade. The boy certainly knew how to leave an impression. Ever since their last meeting, she couldn't help but think about him all the time. Was it safe to think this way? What if everything he was doing was just to win her over and make her his spy? To every good thing she thought about him, a bad thought always came to the front too.

_He isn't all that bad…_ Yeah…he was kinda cute in his own creepy way. Handsome if not cute, but charming none the less. She giggled.

After serving another customer, Runo tossed a concerned look at Alice again. The girl had been daydreaming a lot lately, giggling uncontrollably for no reason and signing a lot. To Runo, these were the symptoms of madness, the poor Russian just couldn't take what happened to her grandfather. But Julie knew better. According to her, these were the symptoms of love.

"Alice is in love silly" the silver haired girl cooed. "It's so obvious"

"…" The only reply she received was a strange look from her green eyed team mate.

"Who do you think could it be?" the girl thoughtfully placed a finger on her chin as her eyes drifted to stare at the cream colored ceiling.

"Shun?" Runo suggested.

"No, no, no" The other shook her head "If it were Shun I would've known"

"What are you? A guru?" Runo mocked.

"This is serious business" Julie frowned. What did Dan see in Runo anyway? The girl barely acted like a girl. She was much more of a female version of a violent sumo wrestler but skinnier, much, much skinnier. Julie and Dan were meant to be. But this didn't matter now. There were much more important matters at hands. "Does somebody come to see her everyday or something? Somebody totally cute. Like way cute"

Runo pondered for a while. "Nah. Not while I'm working. And even if somebody did visit her in the morning mom would've told me by now"

"Does somebody call her? Regularly?"

"Not that I know of. Her cell phone barely rings"

"Does she chat with someone regularly?"

"Not regularly. I've seen all her friends. They're all girls. Not a guy exists in her friends list"

"Hmm…" Julie was very thoughtful for a moment and Runo began to lean in trying to read the girl's face. "Nothing" and Runo's face dropped.

Suddenly a thought hit the blunette's head "Alice goes to get the groceries everyday!" Excitement began to show on both their faces.

"Maybe it's some guy at the grocery store!" Julie exclaimed. It sounded very weird but made very much sense.

Runo frowned. Why had Alice not told her? They were close friends. Every time either of the two was upset they'd talk. They even had a talk about crushes last night. Alice knew she liked Dan. Why did Alice not tell her that she herself liked someone? She denied everything Runo threw at her, and the host believed her! Why? Because the girl was just too innocent to get into these kinds of things. What if Julie was just messing around? The Australian did complain very much of boredom.

"Julie…What if it's nothing. What if she's just missing her folks?"

The other shook her head. "Giggling while thinking about her folks?"

"Yes, thinking about all the good times! She's millions of miles away from home!"

"Russia is so dull. What would she miss about that place anyway? Besides, I'm far away from home too"

"Don't be insensitive! Her grandfather got turned into some blue headed monster. She grew up with him you know, they were very close"

How it had started and where it had ended, how did it even happen…? Whatever the case, now they both were tables apart glaring daggers at each other at every eye contact. No words had been said but the challenge had been laid; the first girl to find out about Alice's crush was obviously the better one.

Meanwhile Alice just sat at the counter, blank to all the praising and flattery that the customers gave to her beauty. Normally she would be replying with a small thanks to everyone but ever since last week her replies had slowed and finally ended. She had many other things on her mind. Every thought about her grandfather brought along the blonde villains face as well. Every thought of bakugan brought with it his picture too. He was every where now.

She had ignored and now she couldn't. Alice missed his silly character. He was actually the highlight of the day. Well, when he'd come he'd be scary but when he'd leave he'd become the climax of her story. After her first butterfly entry of him, she noticed there had now been a dozen more.

It wasn't her fault, she assured herself. She was growing up, she was a young teen and it was very normal to feel this way about boys, a particular one in fact. But at the back of her mind something kept nagging her that was indeed she who was at fault.

Time had passed like the wind and before she knew it she was at the mall with the rest of her girlfriends. Runo needed a dress for the school dance and Julie needed accessories and some stuff. Alice tagged along to buy a few books and stuff. The Russian didn't fail to notice the tension in the air. Yes, everyone was happy and enjoying but there was something between Julie and Runo, maybe they'd had a fight. She wasn't going to push anything.

Unfortunately, this time no one had brought extra cash and so their shopping had to be restricted. That still didn't stop them from window shopping and making inner oaths about buying the specific item the next time they came and praying that some other shopper hadn't bought it by then.

After his return from Germany, the hero-villain was exhausted. So instead of teleporting next to his bed he teleported right onto it. Two words- never, again! He had actually been excited when the maniac scientist asked him to go to Germany, there had been much detecting of high powered bakugans and he was to feed Dragoniod with them. The list was so long that he risked playing against four kids at one time! All just to please Naga. If only he was big enough to strangle that no good lizard.

Masquerade signed. Being the best bakugan player in the world was not an easy job. Especially since he was the best and was a 'bad guy'. After spending an hour or two in bed he finally managed to get his aching bones off the cushy softness. Time to see how much Dan and his friends had improved.

As soon as the site opened, his brow raised. A video made by the silver haired girl on the team started to load.

"_Hey there bakugan fans, guess what's hot and spicy with your favorite brawlers these days? That's right! Our own little Alice has a secret boyfriend! If you can help us find out who the cutie might be you can spend a whole day with yours truly! Julie signing off, Ta-ta!"_

She blew a kiss to the screen and the video ended.

Masquerade was still for a bit. He was in a submissively good mood so had no thoughts of bugging anyone or getting angry. "Alice has a secret boyfriend" his hand cupped his cheek as he plopped his elbow on the desk. Should he pay a visit, find out who the guy was? Who knows, he might even win this thing and get to spend a whole day with the people who were threatening his authority! But that wouldn't be very Masquerade of him. Now what the real plan in his head was that he would find the guy and send him to the doom dimension. Or he could beat him numb, depending on his mood of course.

Alice was silently seething. There stood Julie right in front of her with the strangest kind of smile, behind her stood the team. Runo had shown the video to the red head who was not very pleased by it. The team had a mixed reaction to it. Dan was baffled. Shun was quite. Marucho was murmuring things under his breath. Runo was fuming. Alice was horrified. And Julie was giggling at her 'great' act. There had been more then three hundred replies to that video in less then a day of its release! Nobody wanted to see dear Alice with another boy.

"Boyfriend! Who told you I had a boyfriend? If my grandfather were to see that-" she stopped herself mid sentence and took a deep breath. "Julie…" she started, much more calmly this time "That wasn't very nice of you… You should have talked to me about it first"

"But you would've denied everything" She simply replied "Like every other girl in love" she winked. Alice shook her head as Dan mouthed a 'wha' to Runo who shrugged her shoulders.

"Still Julie, now there's a big mess on our website" Marucho also piped in. "Honestly that was very irresponsible of you"

"Oh quit the complaining" the girl got up to her defense "It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand"

"Alright so let's just jump to the apologies and clean this up okay" Dan broke in.

"If you say so captain" Julie giggled.

"_If you say so captain_" Runo mimicked Julie with a scowling face "You're still going to the dance?"

"Yea" the brunette gave her a thumbs-up.

"I wanna go too!" Julie whined as she clung onto Dan's arm. Runo rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Alice and Marucho went to get rid of Julie's video. Shun remained quiet the whole time, observing the mess made by the girls. Every time the word 'boyfriend' came to Alice's face she'd hesitate and become mentally far for a while before replying. To him, it was quite obvious that she had someone in mind for a boyfriend. But then again, she was just another girl, and understanding girls was way out of his league. But she was a girl that he was crushing on.

The restaurant had closed and it was time for clean up. For the red head, today had been the worst day of her life. Every customer came to her to inquire about her 'secret boyfriend'. Even random people came in just to ask her about her boyfriend and left after she told them he didn't exist! It was heck of a day!

Runo was upstairs and Alice also could've ditched cleaning but she'd heard Runo singing and after a peek through the door had managed to see Runo, her party dress and the mirror (hope you got the hints to the activity -wink-) and then the Russian had come straight down, not wanting to intrude anything.

Mrs. Masaki had gone out a while ago and Mr. Masaki was busy in the back a.k.a the storage room so Alice was left, once again, by herself in the little restaurant. Something caught her eye and she turned around to see a piece of dark paper lying innocently on the counter. It was fully black and blank. She picked it up hoping to find something written on it. It felt metallic and then she noticed its card like shape.

"So there it is!" An awfully familiar voice rang in her ears. "I was looking for that" Where was it coming from? She was turning around and around trying to locate the owner of the playful voice. "Hello! Up here" Her head shot up and there as if lying on the floor was Masquerade stuck to the ceiling. "I'll take that" His back pulled away from the ceiling and she thought he was going fall but instead his feet remained glued to the wall while he himself hung upside down. The girl, totally in shook, stayed like stone as he took the card from her.

Out of nowhere some sense racked in her brain and she took a few steps back. "Masquerade! Why are you here?" Seriously, was he stalking her or something, or did he find it fun to annoy people who were friends with bakugan players when they themselves weren't.

"No greeting, no hi, no nothing?" he pouted. He was a weird scene upside down. "Heard you had a boyfriend" he could visibly see her catch fire "Came to congratulate the lucky guy"

"I don't have a boyfriend! Why doesn't anybody understand that?" she stomped her foot as her hands balled into fists. The boy jumped down from the ceiling and landed on all fours like a cat making it look so simple. "That was just some silly video that Julie had made because of some misunderstanding"

"Really?" He inquired as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "So you're a pretty girl, who can have a guy anytime, but no one's asking you out?"

Her cheeks began to glow. "No, it's not like that" she looked down at her feet "It's…complicated"

The air around him made him felt so…on the top…Why was he even here? He was the best of the best, he was a baddie and she was nobody, she felt like a fake now, what's the point of knowing everything about bakugan when you can't even play it yourself. And then what he just said…of course she was an attractive girl, she knew that, but what he said was so true, nobody asked her out. Wait, many had asked her out, countless guys had…but she had politely refused. Why had she refused them? Some of them were so cute…

Wow…she had no answers to her own questions… Honestly, she felt she'd disappoint her grandfather if she agreed to go out with someone of the opposite gender.

"Maybe people don't know you like they say" He said.

"What?" She looked up at him. How she wished that mask wasn't there. She was picturing a handsome face staring back at her. But she couldn't picture the face perfectly, all because of that hideous mask. That stupid glass mask that made her look back at her own face, back in her own eyes.

"If you tell some guy what you like to do, maybe he would enjoy your likes too" What the fu-? What did he just say!? What the hell!?

"I like dancing" She replied with a crimson face then bit her tongue. Slip of tongue and now her tongue must be punished.

"Runo! Alice!" A manly voice broke out every speck of the moment. "Could you girls come down here for a minute?"

"Yes, Mr. Masaki" She replied and then looked back to see the blonde gone.

**End Chapter 6**

I was going to end it after the release of Julie's footage but I thought there had to be more of Masquerade, ya know… crazy obsession… he is kinda cute. P.S. when I said dancing soon, I meant in the coming chappies, so it's going to be either the next one or the one after.

The guys should've shown his face in the series, it's not fair! He deserved to live! To live! –Over dramatic- T.T end of discussion…

See you next time, until then I'll wail over Masquerade.

Masqueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


	7. The Real Dance

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Disclaimer: **Do not own the song at the end. If I did, I would be rich by now –sigh-

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 7**

**The Real Dance**

Runo was beyond excited, Alice could see that. She could see through every cover the blunette tried to put forth. Today was Saturday, today was a great day, and today was the school dance! Great day! Great day! Life didn't come any better. And nothing was spoiling today's spirit.

Runo accidentally spilled juice on herself but she didn't get angry, rather cleaned it up humming about being clumsy. She tripped on the stairs and fell face flat but still didn't become unnerved, simply got up laughing it off. Not only that but after every two to three minutes she ran upstairs to see if her party dress was alright.

Alice kept her fingers crossed. She was hoping Dan didn't call on the last minute and say he didn't want to come. The more the dance got closer the more scared the boy became. He even called last night about changing his mind and it took Alice hours to persuade him to go. So just to comfort him she had to go over to his place to help him practice his dancing again. He was a total wreck!

At least he was grateful he didn't have to pick up Runo. He didn't own a car neither was he old enough to drive one. If she did insist on going with him then he would have to get his bike as in bicycle. But she was going to be dropped by her father and Dan's parents were going to drop him off at school.

"Alice I'm getting nervous" Runo complained as she put the washed plates in the metallic rack to dry.

With the back of her hand the red head removed a few strands that came in front of her eyes. "There's nothing to be nervous about" she smiled at her friend "I'm sure it'll be great fun" She started washing the dishes again as Runo joined her. "Look at it this way, you're going to a party at school and there will be lots of dancing" she giggled.

"No, the thing is…Dan is really you know, popular at school. Tons of girls have asked him out for the dance. It's just… Alright, we do get to dance and stuff, but what if he goes away with some other girl later on, that'd be so un-cool"

"No, Dan isn't like that" Alice assured. "If he does go away someone else will take your hand for the next dance" she smiled "Trust me, it's always like that. It's mostly at dances you find out how many people like you" she laughed lightly.

"Have you ever attended a school dance?" Runo asked.

"No, I don't go to school, I'm home-schooling. But I've been to dances" Alice replied. And so on went their conversation. Runo felt much better. If Dan did ditch her she'd give him a beautiful black eye which will stay on his face for the rest of his sorry life. And from what her friends had been telling her at least five people crushed on one person in average life, so defiantly somebody might come to ask her, or she could always sit with the food stand and become fat. She signed. Tonight better be good because she was defiantly expecting a lot.

The morning went by quickly, so did noon and the after noon was a jet! And then it was evening. The Masaki's excused the girls for the rest of the day and they both rushed upstairs. Runo quickly showered and got in her dress. Alice helped with her hair setting and deciding which jewelry should be worn as Runo was obviously double minded at the moment. They didn't go heavy on the make up as they were only thirteen so lip-gloss and light eye shadow was the call of the day.

"Do you think I should put on the blusher? I think I should put on the blusher. What about the eye liner? " Runo was actually screaming. Alice was trying to calm the girl down. Why oh why did Julie have to get them two full make-up kits!? This was going to suck… After long minutes of pondering they decided that what she had on was enough since it was just a dance.

Then the next struggle was deciding which purse should go with the dress as the purse that came with it was out of sight. Alice leant the panic stricken girl her own as it went way better with the dress then the one it originally had. Runo stuffed as much things into it as she could and the red head rushed to her and took everything out putting in some money, Mrs. Masaki's cell phone (for emergency use only), Runo's school ID, the gloss and eye shadow.

"Relax Runo, it's only a dance" she assured as Runo took in deep breaths and started counting to ten, finally beginning to calm down. The green eyed girl felt weird going to school at this time. The sun had set and well… school was supposed to be closed. What if today wasn't the right Saturday? What if the dance had been cancelled? "No Runo, Dan called about an hour ago, today defiantly is the dance"

After a painstakingly long hour, Runo was fully prepared. As soon as she stepped out of her room her father started snapping pictures of her. "Look at my baby; she looks like she's a woman!" Alice giggled whilst opening her cell and joined Mr. Masaki.

"Stop it guys! Mooooooooooom!" The poor victim cried.

"Come on Runo, just one pose" Alice cooed as she snapped another photo.

"Fine, fine" She posed and even her mother took out her phone. After a few more poses she demanded a stop and the girls got in the car as Mr. Masaki got behind the wheel. "I'm so excited"

"Now Runo, listen very carefully. One, you are to be back home before midnight, call me as soon as you're done, approved time is nine but a little later is also acceptable, try to get done sooner. Two, don't try to dance in an inappropriate manner, as soon as they put on useless music, you get off the dancing grounds. Three, no mingling with unknown people, do you understand what I'm saying? Four, stay close to your friends, your girl friends"

"Dad, dad, relax. I get it. Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid"

"Your dad is really nice" Alice whispered to her companion "He really cares about you"

"Yea, that caring can sometimes turn into a pain" she whispered back.

Two and a half hours. Two and a half hours had passed since Runo had been there. At first the girl was sending a lot of texts back home trying to kill her boredom but her last message said that Dan had arrived and not a single message had come after that. Just to make sure and on Mrs. Masaki's insistence, Alice also sent a message asking if she was alright and Runo send back a hallelujah.

Alice smiled and began to look through the snaps she'd taken of the girl in her dress. She deleted the corrupted ones. Runo looked really pretty. The dark blue dress went really nicely with her hair color and the glitter patterns of flowers on it was a really nice add. The Russian titled her head to a side as she stared at the girl's full photo in a cute pose. She placed her cell on the side desk and went to change into her night gown, all the while thinking about Runo and Dan dancing. By the time she was done, the Russian had pushed herself to a very fluffy mood.

She came out of the bathroom and stretched a bit in the dark room which was only lit by the moonlight and the light coming from the bathroom. It was ten thirty. The Masaki's were keeping themselves awake by watching TV. She knew because she could hear it. She walked over to Runo's bed and gently sat down being careful not to mess it up too much. Reaching out to pick her phone "MY PHONE!" she cried. It was gone! She knew she'd placed it here, it was right there! She stood up and looked around the side table. It couldn't have fallen off.

"Relax princess, its right here" she turned around and her gown swished with her quick movements. Her eyes were shaking with emotions and her lips pulled apart but nothing came out. There he sat. As if the place belonged to him. There he was…Masquerade, sitting on the window pane with one leg crouched to fit in the square pane and his other foot dangling on the inside. The window was open? The curtains were certainly closed. "Runo looks really nice, doesn't she?"

She straightened up and smiled. "Yes. Yes she does"

"Good weather outside"

"……Yes…"

"This room feels kind of stuffy compared to outside"

Alice closed her eyes but the smile still stayed there on her face. Decent conversation…When she opened them again the blonde was standing outside the window with only his hands placed on the pane where he had been sitting before. Hold it! There was no support outside; there was nothing he could stand on! She ran over to the window wide eyed and placed her hands on the wooden pane as she looked down to see what he was standing on. Nothing. He was standing on nothing.

"Neat huh?" he grinned. One minute this and the next his hands had tightly grasped hers and he pulled her out through the window. A small shriek escaped her but she remained deathly quite after that as she realized they were moving up. Her hands tightly gripped his coat; if she was going to fall he was going down with her. The air was cool and with Alice wearing her sleeveless gown, it felt like artic, not forget to mention how light her clothes were.

"What is this?" she looked down at her feet. As she moved her foot away a dark purple print was left there which slowly began to fade away.

"Another one of your grandfather's creations"

"Where are we going?"

Masquerade grinned. "I'm surprised you didn't say '_Where are you taking me, oh dear!'_" he mocked a damsels voice then snickered. "But I'm glad you asked, now stay put for the surprise"

When they did arrive at the destination Alice's eyes were wide as saucers and she was ready to jump off what ever they were on and fall to her death. The surprise was a surprise alright! It was a bullet through the brain! "Runo and Dan's school!" she panicked. If they saw Alice and Masquerade like this…

"Really, I didn't know that… But the party's great" he looked down at the girl and was shocked to see her trembling, like literally trembling! Her knuckles had turned white and if she pulled any more at his coat he was sure it would tear right off him! Why didn't he notice it? She was clinging so tightly onto him while trying to keep her distance. She looked like she was ready to commit suicide. "Hey, what's the matter? The card's stable, we're not gonna fall off" he assured deaf ears.

"Their school… the dance…headless…dead…killed…me…spying…" she kept murmuring and these were the only things Masquerade could make of what she was mumbling to herself.

"Alice… are you alright?" He inquired softly while the card continued to move higher and closer to the place he had selected.

The red headed Russian looked up at him with wide eyes. Today she noticed he was taller then her. The way he was looking down at her made her feel so tiny and vulnerable, was she really? Heck yea! She couldn't jump off this stupid card. The way the wind was messing with his hair made him look kind of friendly…untouchable…At least now she knew he didn't use a bottle of hair gel a day. She didn't dare look down again. Her stomach felt loose just thinking of the height they were at. "Do you fly regularly?" That was out of the blue.

"Maybe I should take you back, you look sick…Are you afraid of heights?" Her face said it all. "Aw, come on! The fun's all in the skies!" The card finally stopped. He leaned closer and whispered "What's under your feet?" Oh but she wasn't moving. "Don't worry, I've got ya" his hand curled around her wrist and she held his back, tightly.

Reluctantly she moved her head and looked down. Below her was glass (they're still standing on the card) and upon careful observation she realized that this was the ceiling of a building. Immediately below was a bit dark as large lights were turned on which lightened the floor beneath but the marble floor was lit so brightly that it looked as if it was glowing! The sight was sort of heavenly… People were moving around below, and she knew who they were. They were the students and staff of this school, Runo and Dan's school.

Then her ears finally opened fully and her brain registered the soft sweet music. Unbeknownst to her, her grip on Masquerade's wrist loosened. She looked back up at him and found him looking below as well. She slipped her hands out of his careful grasp and moved them to her face to push some strands behind her ear as the wind kept messing with her hair, his too, but he didn't bother.

"Masquerade… Why did you bring me here?"

He turned his attention to her. "Didn't you say you like dancing?" She bit her lower lip as her cheeks turned crimson. "I don't think people do the robot to this kind of song but trust me, they had on a really wild beat a while ago"

"You brought me here to dance?" She inquired with a raised brow as her hands rubbed her arms. "What made you think I would?" She rubbed her bare arms again. The night was chilly. She had on a light night gown which was sleeveless, to top that off she was bare foot too, she'd have to be a penguin not to feel the cold. Sure she had gotten used to the cold by living in Russia all her life but this country had made her love the nice warm weather and the sudden chill was disturbing her.

"First, I don't take 'no' for an answer. If I want to battle someone, he's going to battle me or else" he stated in a matter of fact manner "Yesterday you hinted at me to take you to a dance and so we're here, now don't deny anything" The girl had her jaw dropped. "Hey, a fly might move in" That took her back in time when they'd first come face to face. The creep had said the exact same thing.

"Alright" She smiled "But why aren't we on the ground like everyone else" He better have an interesting answer.

"Yo princess" he waved his hand in front of her face "I'm like the most wanted guy on the planet. A single person down there finds out I'm here and a thousand and one bakugans will be living in the doom dimension. People are crazy for me you know" he paused "Plus, I just winked at you" Alice stooped her shoulder blades as she tried to make a serious face but the blush didn't hide. Masquerade took off his coat. "Here"

Her jaw dropped the second time. "I don't need it"

"I can see you're freezing"

Since he put it that way… "T-Thank you Masquerade" She took it and held it close to herself for a while then slowly put it on as he stared off in the distance. It was half sleeved and didn't do much to her arms but it made the rest of her warm, minus her feet.

"Try not to step back too much since I've noticed it's a habit of yours, if you do it, you might fall off the card" he warned as he turned to fully look at her. God she was looking so cute! A missy version of her! Her face was beet red and her eyes were glued to her feet. "Do you need a pair of shoes too?" She looked up quickly and vigorously shook her head. "Now, shall we?" He extended his hand. She took in a deep breath. He was at an advantage. This was his card and his coat, and he was being really nice by taking her dancing…It was a date!

_Why do I keep running from the truth?_

_All I ever think about is you_

_Got me hypnotized_

_So mesmerized_

_And I just got to know_

_Do you ever feel?_

_When you're all alone_

_All that we could be_

_Where this thing could go_

_Am I crazy or falling in love?_

She smiled as her hand was placed and his fingers curled around it. Even her hand was smaller then his. They slowly came closer and Alice bit her lip to keep herself from giggling. It started none the less. "You're good" she appreciated. Yes, waltz was a piece of cake… Even a stupid villain could do that.

_Do you catch a breath? _

_When I look at you_

_Are you holding back?_

_Like the way I do_

_Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away_

_But I know this crush ain't going away_

**End Chapter 7**

Phew! All typed in a day! I think it turned out to be quite long too. Hope you guys appreciate this! So this is how 'this day' ends for our heroine.

I think the chapter turned out to be pretty cute, kind of fluffy and cute! And it fulfilled the 'coming soon dancing' thing too! Yay me! See, your favorite habit can lead to a happy healthy relationship…in fictions at least…

Now the second phase! The problems of a relationship between enemies! MUAHAHAHA! –choke- (remembers doctor's warnings of laughing like a mutt) –dies-

-Comes to life again! - This is fiction people! Anything's possible!

Today's P.S. is; you guys should totally hear the song 'Crush' by David Archuleta (the dude was second in last year's American Idol; he lost to another David guy). I thought these lyrics went nicely with how their feelings went. The song is kind of weird when it starts or when you hear it the first time but once it gets to this (the above written lyrics) part, which it does very soon, it gets really good, great in fact!

Another P.S. A second song will be mentioned as well…somewhere… if I remember… which I hope to…

Till next time, cya!


	8. Masquerade Merchendise

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters.

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 8**

**Masquerade Merchandise **

Alice couldn't sleep. Tonight had been so unique and unbelievable. Tonight had been like a dream. Tonight had been like a fairytale. Her heart was aching just thinking about it. Dancing on thin air with prince charming. And today she also found another thing about him; the guy had a great sense of humor. She closed her eyes and everything started to reply in her head and she also started feeling it. Unbelievable.

She lightly laughed as she thought about Masquerade's fingers trying to place themselves around her waist whilst adjusting a position to start dancing. She gave him a gentle push as she realized he was actually trying to tickle her. He gave her an innocent pout as she glared back but her glare gave way to a giggling face.

She had forgotten he was the enemy.

He even did a robot totally off tune to the waltz music playing below. When the hard rock music started playing he even mouthed it and did a small freaky dance while Alice laughed and laughed until not only her cheeks but stomach also started hurting. She even spotted Runo below dancing to the wild music. That dance didn't go very good with her dress. But Masquerade made her forget everything.

He even made her forget he was the enemy and that she was a damsel in distress. Maybe not distress but a damsel none the less.

After a hell (as in great!) of an evening he finally agreed to let her go and helped her climb back in through the window. And now here she was lying on her mattress with the pillow clutched between her hands as she turned on her side. Runo had told her not to stay up and wait, but what else was she supposed to do? She couldn't sleep with all the butterflies in her stomach. And she realized something…

Alice had a crush. A mega crush. Like big time! She dreaded thinking about it but she was sure she was a victim of the four lettered word which had been reduced to three words by texting……

Then it struck her! She was still wearing the creep's coat! She shot up and kept staring at nothing. Finally she took it off. Where was she supposed to put it? Why hadn't the moron asked her back for it? He was going to have her killed! She clutched the white clothing close to her chest as she thought of excuses for Runo. Without a second thought Alice opened the blunette's closet and stuffed the coat somewhere in the back next to the girl's sweaters.

She took in a deep breath. Lying wasn't an option. It was completely against what her elders had taught her. She would disgrace them. If Runo asked…She would have to tell the truth. They were almost like best friends. They told each other everything. Runo told her everything. Alice bit her lower lip. She was cheating her best friend! Runo was being so kind, she was letting her stay at her place, she was taking care of Alice during a difficult time and this is how Alice was repaying her; by hiding things from her. She felt like a fake. Like a cheater, a deceiver.

Runo… had to know… No matter how painful, no matter how cruel…She had to know… She deserved to know the truth…

The next morning Alice tried every opportunity but something came up that made her loose her nerve. Finally when she was bold enough to reveal everything, Julie jumped in between them. And telling Julie was not an option. The tension between Julie and Runo had decreased to a very safe degree.

Now it was almost evening. Telling Runo anything was impossible! It's as if fate didn't want that to happen. Maybe somebody up there was bored and decided to play around with her. Why! Why now? Life was miserable as it was!

"I'm thinking I should clean my wardrobe" Runo pondered. The girls were upstairs in their bedroom.

"Good idea Runo" Alice nodded. The other's closet was a mess anyway, like some cloth bomb had gone off there or something close.

Five minutes into Runo's work and the blunette stopped. "Hey, where'd this come from?" She took out the item and held it up to observe it more closely. Alice also looked away from her book to see what had caught the other's interest only to have her own heart suffer a near failure. She jolted to the other and snatched away the white coat. Runo looked back at her bewildered.

"Ugh… It's…It's mine" Alice murmured as she hugged the cloth to her chest. Oh, Masquerade was so, so dead!

"…okay…" Runo kept a suspicious eye on the red head. Her face had turned red, she was staring at the floor and she was most defiantly lost in her own thoughts. "When did you get it anyway? It looks like a boy item, and it looks like it's been used. It also looks very familiar too"

"Oh, oh no" Alice nervously waved her hand. "Someone…someone gave it to me"

"Who?" Maybe her secret boyfriend…

"This…this boy"

"Who was he?"

Alice was a very good girl. She never lied "I don't know"……except when necessary.

"Then why did you take it?"

"Because… I said something…he was being generous…I think…"

"Oh" Runo slapped her hands together "Another one of your admirers!" She shook her head. "Seriously girl, next time they try to give you something, hit them across the face"

"Hmm" Alice nodded as she took in a deep breath, satisfied "Of course Runo"

She never wanted Masquerade to come near her, he was scary but nice. He was confusing. She was confused. But today she was eager to see him again. She was waiting for him to pop out of nowhere as usual. And today as she was waiting, it didn't seem like he had any plans of visiting her. She had been left alone several times, sometimes even for an extended period of time, the perfect environment for him to come and attack, but he didn't. It actually made her worried. Something must've happened to him. He did do the most stupidest things. Alice shook her head. She wouldn't be surprised if he turned up with a broken leg.

Right on cue, she saw glitter falling. That was a sign, that happened whenever Masquerade came! She looked around expectedly, even above her but the room was empty. Alice became restless, he better get here soon or else Runo will be here any minute, her shift was almost over.

"Oh dear, oh my, oh, oh somebody help me!" Masquerade wailed.

Alice turned around and saw him lying on Runo's bed. It was about time. "Masquerade, you forgot- What happened to you?" She was a bit shocked. She didn't really expect him to turn up with a broken leg. It was plastered and he also had crutches lying with him on either sides. His white coat was missing. "Are you alright?"

"Do you expect me to be alright after a two thousand pound vehicle hit me?" Grouchy, what was he hit by, a hovercraft? "Help me" he cooed as he waved his hands in the air.

"What happened?" Alice asked as she walked over to him and helped him sit up. He was smart looking alright but heavy as hell.

Masquerade looked at her with a smirking face. "Nothing, it's a fake plaster" Alice jumped away with a 'what the-' face as the blonde calmly took off the plaster and tossed it aside.

"Ugh…" the red head took out his coat from the wardrobe "Please take this back before I forget about returning it"

"Aw, thank you" he cooed "And you even pressed it for me!" She smiled as she handed it to him. "Can I keep the hanger as a reminder of this day?" he innocently asked.

"I don't know…It belongs to Runo, and it is pink…"

"Hearts are pink too, no?" she saw him extend his hand for his item, or at least she thought he did. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. Alice squealed and her quick motion stopped. She ended up… ON HIS LAP!!!

"GWAH!" she started throwing her hands and feet in every direction trying to get off. Her face had swelled like a balloon and was completely red as she tried to get away from him. His hand grabbed her shoulder and he pushed her away from himself only to press her down on the bed. She got up only half way when Masquerade came above her.

"Don't leave" he whined "I'll be lonely all over again" he tried to make his voice sound as innocent as possible. He was trying so hard to restrain himself from exploding into laughter. Her face was beyond funny! Priceless!

Runo walked up the stairs humming some song. She made it and started towards her room.

Alice heard it, someone was coming. Masquerade wasn't getting off her.

Runo grabbed the door handle and pressed it down –THUD- she fully opened the door and saw Alice lying on her bed. She was sleeping. Runo smiled. The girl must be tired. She went out again gently closing the door behind her.

As the door closed Alice shot up in bed and looked down at the side to see Masquerade lying on the floor with a frown. She giggled.

"Alright just give me my coat and I'll leave" Masquerade held up his hand. She wasn't going to fall for it this time. She picked it up and tossed it on top of him. Then he vanished.

"You forgot-"

The door opened again. "I thought you were asleep" Runo asked as she walked in. The first thing to catch her eye were the crutches on the bed and a plaster beside it. "What's this?" she asked with a raised brow as she looked at Alice's back.

The red head turned her head towards the other. "Somebody might need them later on" she replied with a very strange kind of expression, somewhere between happy and angry. And the red head knew exactly who was going to need them. Masquerade was a dead man the next time she saw him!

**End Chapter 8**

BEHEHEHE! There it is! The end!

Plus, I would like to mention about a really nice and encouraging review I received from **eyye**. Thank you!

Bye………


	9. Call of Conscience

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 9**

**Call of Conscience **

Masquerade was actually regretting it now. What on earth was he thinking!? Everybody knows girls are grouchy when they wake up early in the morning! And yet he thought she was different. Yea, she was, but there are just some things that are common in every female being.

"Hey, hey!" Masquerade tried to reason as he lightly jogged around the roof while the red head chased after him. "It was just a joke. Can't a guy have fun once in a while?" He was glad she was turtle paced. If not, he'd be dead by now. Even if she did catch up to him she wouldn't be able to claw out his eyes because her nails were trimmed. He was glad he liked a girl like her. So neat and vulnerable.

"There are limits, you!" Alice gave a light cry as she tried to speed up. Her cheeks were glowing and they had a good reason to. How dare he! She just came up to gather the clothes that were put out to dry yesterday because nobody had bothered bringing them back in and there he was messing with her and Runo's personal garments. Hope you get the picture (–wink-). "PERVERT!!!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Dude… she was getting scary, and her speed was increasing. "I apologized!"

She didn't reply just kept chasing him. It didn't look like her hands were going to be on him anytime soon so she pulled out a scarf from the clothes and tried to hit him with it. It didn't hurt him anyway but she was hoping he would learn his lesson. Good for nothing stalking pervert!

"Oh I beg your pardon princess. Please don't kill me! I swear on my holy heart never to touch your thingi-s ever again!" He was rolling into playboy mode.

After fifteen minutes of attempting murder she gave up. The boy was obviously too fast for her. She just ignored him as he passed comments on the clothes while she collected them. It's not as if his wardrobe would be any better.

"Holy cow! Does that actually fit on her dad! Are you sure it doesn't slip?" Image-not-good…

"Masquerade please be quiet" Yes, she liked that tone. The tone of authority, the tone that made everyone listen! Everyone…

"Why?" … except him…

"I'm getting a headache" she poorly reasoned.

"I'm getting a headache too" he whined "It's not easy to up with witty comments every minute. I'm running my head wheels on maximum"

"Then be quiet for both our sakes" Finally! All the clothes were stuffed in the basket and she could get out of here. "Have a nice day" she could feel the joy sweeping her already. The blonde didn't reply to her farewell.

Runo was at school and the customers were in a small pack so the girl decided to put the pressed clothes in their rightful places, of hers and Runo's at least. She firstly collected their girl garments. As Alice opened the cupboard to place in Runo's things, she didn't even notice the barrier and ended up stuffing them in someone's face. Step number two; she jumped at least twenty feet high and back and had her back pressed to the wall as she gazed hard at the person.

"What are you doing in Runo's closet!" she pointed an accusing finger at Masquerade. "When do you stop!?"

The boy casually came out, brushing off imaginary dust from himself with his hands. "I'm bored! There's nothing to do but annoying you. All the kids are at school you know"

Alice's head fell down. He had a point. But this wasn't supposed to be happening. She had sworn to herself to get his curse off her as soon as possible. She had to do this or he might be after her for life! And if she got caught then only the heavens might know what'll happen next.

"Masquerade…" Her chest was beginning to hurt "…We're enemies"

His mood didn't change one bit "I haven't forgotten" There still was a playful pitch in his voice. "But time has the power to change, doesn't it?" Was he hinting at something? Was he saying he wanted to become good? Was he leaving or something? She signed.

"Please Masquerade… Try to understand. It isn't right on my behalf to be with you… like this…" She looked up at his face. His smile/smirk had still managed to stay as the same. That mask made her beyond mad sometimes.

"Do I hear Alice speaking? Or her conscience?" She bowed her head again. He just made everything so difficult. Well, as long as he was here, she could use the time to get some useful things out of him. Now… How to start the leakage process?

"mmm…Masquerade…?"

"Aww, cute!" the other pulled out a shirt from the closet and held it up for view. "Look at the cute little kitty. It makes me want to kick it!"

The girl's eyebrow rose as a barely seen sweat drop appeared on her forehead. He was something alright. His character was so weird. She would be so certain that he was good and the next minute he would be all "Mr. Mean". He was a crazy villain. It made her wonder if he was going through some psychological treatment or something, I mean, if you're gonna be someone, be him straight instead of being a confused character. Neither pure evil neither purely good. Just which side was he on anyway.

But put a break on it! He sent Bakugan to the Doom Dimension and made people cry and he was STALKING her. Yea… he was bad, like bad BAD!

But then again… he would become nice in the entire odd ball story somewhere … and-

"You're thinking about me aren't you?"

She pressed herself as much into the wall as was possible since she was already sticking her back to it. His face was so close. She even turned her face to the side so she wouldn't end up looking into his eyes. Well, actually she would be looking at his mask which would be reflecting her eyes but that was just the point, he would be able to read her and she wouldn't be able to read him. If she ever did get a chance with him, the first thing she would do is remove that mask!

"Don't turn away" She didn't need to look to know, he was smiling/smirking throughout the conversation. "Am I really that ugly? So much that you can think of me but not look at me?"

"What makes you think you're on my mind?"

"Should I answer?"

GOD! WHAT'S WITH ALL THOSE QUESTIONS!?!

Seriously!?

…

"Masquerade… You're invading my space" She was proud of herself, how boldly she had stated that comment!

"So?" Crap man!

"P-Please… Move back…"

"Why?"

She needed to get desperate. Maybe bring out a few tears…or kick him where the lights didn't shine. Or bang her head against his mask. That would make his face bleed again; it made her wonder if his eye had recovered from that 'punch incident' quite a while back.

"Please…"

"But you look so cute… Your face is glowing red! I could bury in my garden and nobody would be able to tell you from a tomato!"

Wait a minute! Why was she acting like some deer caught in headlights? He wasn't holding her or anything. Just standing close to her…kind of, his face was very close to hers. She could easily move away and she did exactly that!

Now, reconsidering about the whole "leakage process" thing. She decided against it. It was better to cut off all links with him rather then risk being caught taking things from him and being labeled a spy. Now she was final on how to treat him. She had decided and she was going to stand strong by her decision. No more miss-nice. She was going to become ignorant of his existence altogether.

She wasn't going to reply to his greetings, nor react to his silly comments. And totally NOT say his name; instead she was going to use the name Julie did, CREEP!

"Leave me alone" Was all she said before she quickly ran out of the room. Didn't want him to show a reaction on her.

Masquerade…Goodbye!

**End Chapter 9**

Thank you for the reviews!

So, the reaction Alice showed at the end is pretty much what every girl does when somebody stalks (or does something similar) her. Well, actually girls ignore the desperate dudes from the very beginning or play with them a little but when you know the dude, what can you do but be friendly first and salty later.

All according to plan AHAHAHA!

What will Masquerade do? Only … I don't know… seriously… I'm gonna have to think about it…

Till later, ta-da.


	10. Dark de Doodle

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Note: **Sorry everyone. I know that the update was way, WAY, **WAY** late but … there were some complications. But it's updated now and I hope you guys enjoy. I don't really like it very much because it doesn't come up to the way I planned it. There are some parts that I expected to pop out earlier or later on but I guess everything fits in fine for now. It originally was supposed to contain Christmas joy and love and all that stuff but turned out too unlike the holy holiday spirit so Christmas will have to wait in their world. Enjoy none the less and do let me know about your thoughts! ^-^

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 10**

**Dark de Doodle **

Life had become so boring… Actually it always had been this way… That is until that stupid blonde villain showed up and ruined everything! He added feelings to breathing! The minute she thought of hollowness as a friend he came in between and destroyed that friendship! He replaced himself with her abstract friend.

Life took a U-turn after that. He scared her but excited her at the same time. It was now she realized how much she was fond of him. How idiotically she waited for him to appear every time she was left alone. But alas! Such a relationship was not to be tolerated by anyone. In this story, she was the beauty and he was the beast, or as others put it 'creep'.

But she liked him. He was attractive in his own weird way.

Alice closed her diary and put her pen aside. She was going nuts! If Masquerade showed his glass clad face again! …

……

…

?

Well… Now that she thought about it… Nothing violent came to her mind. He felt more like a friend now.

A sigh escaped her lips as her hand absentmindedly went to the still closed –bud like- large yellow rose placed beside her diary. She picked it up and observed it while slowly and gently twirling its long stem with her fingers. She had heard that the gift of a yellow rose meant friendship. Was that what he was trying to say? He wanted to be friends? As her eyes closed the scene started to replay.

**Flashback**

She was working as usual - cleaning tables to be more specific. The restaurant was being closed early due to 'unknown reasons'. The door opened and in came another customer. Mrs. Masaki's voice came from the back asking Alice to escort the person outside. The Russian did as told. As the person turned around to leave, the red head's smile fell. Masquerade? His entrance was unique this time. Appearing from a turning back! And it looked so fantastically scary! He calmly walked over to her and stuck out the flower in front of her face. Her eyes widened to the point of falling out. Her lips pulled apart, her hand dropped the cleaning cloth, her legs weakened and her fingers trembled.

What to do?

Seriously speaking… She felt the need to go to the bathroom.

BUT… on a more romantic note her heart was pounding, her breathing became slow. Did slapping him seem right or hugging him?

She couldn't bother but wonder why. So why not also ask as well? "What-What's this for?"

A quirky smile was the only reply "…" He pushed the rose forward a bit, encouraging her to take it. And why shouldn't she!? She had no reason to turn it down; she could easily say it was from another admirer. A small lie here and there wouldn't matter a lot.

She was losing it!

He seemed to be reading her head. There was a strong look of distaste and hesitation in her eyes. An internal battle. He sighed. Taking a small step forward he tugged some of her locks behind her ear and carefully set in the flower. So she was serious when she stormed off. She really didn't want to do anything more with him. Once again … rejected…

Couldn't anyone ever let him feel a tinge of happiness? Maybe longer then just a few days? Not really. Everyone was just too absorbed in pointing out his negatives. Jeez, if everyone was always going to rattle about "being yourself" then why did they have to so insensitive about it? He was being himself! Following orders! The only time he was 'not being himself' was when he was thinking of the naïve red head and perhaps when he was around her.

It made him feel different to do random things and watch her expressions change; especially her shocked faces. It was a unique feeling to know that he was the core of her changing emotions and expressions. It was a very ticklish feeling actually. He wasn't stupid. He knew the attention she gave him was different.

But problems were never far behind. He had lost another thing he wanted to acquire. He knew who to blame; and he was going to make them all pay. The good old saying was going to do him good now:

"_Problems don't budge, you have to make them, or perhaps eradicate them" _

'Daniel… You better watch your next step' If anything, Alice would've seen his eyes dangerously narrow but his mask prevented it. The only thing the red head did was smile, a look of utter innocence that the blonde missed due to a head that began to cloud deeply with dark thoughts.

**Flashback Close**

Her eyes slowly opened again. He seemed to be far off mentally after he tucked the rose behind her ear. She could tell because of the air around him. The vibe he gave off changed a lot with his mood and the way he talked and acted. He was so serious.

This could actually be a sign! You know… that he liked her! The girl bit her lower lip as a smile spread unknowingly on her face. Maybe he took the rejection hint and became all moody and sad. Magazines were crap when they said boys didn't understand hints. … No… It was partially true. Dan was an idiot … but Masquerade wasn't!

"Get over it Alice!" The Russian shouted to herself and pressed her forehead to the table. She stared at the wood for a particularly long amount of time. It seemed impossible for them to be on the same plate. "If I keep thinking about him I'll never be able to forget him" Alice murmured to herself. She desperately needed someone to talk to.

Masquerade and Alice could always be… you know… just friends…?

The door flung open with a loud bang and the red head started with a jump in her seat. "Runo?"

"Alice!" The green eyed girl panted "Dan! He lost!"

"What!?" Alice's eyes widened. Was that why Masquerade was here this morning? He was planning on sending Draco to the Doom Dimension and wanted to apologize in advance or something.

"He lost! He lost the soccer match!"

Alice sweat dropped.

**End Chapter 10**

Hehe, I know; silly ending. But I thought that the whole chapter was just too serious and needed a different kind of ending. Something… Anything off the serious note!

I think I'm going to edit the part from the original storyline where Masquerade sends away Dan to the Doom Dimension. P.S. Does rain occur close to Christmas or something T.T' I can't tell cause it's always burning hot everywhere we settle.

Also, I'm planning on… If I blurt out everything, where'll be the suspense? ;P

And one last thing for everyone, I haven't lost any interest in this story. Personally I also like it very much but time is something I rarely have these days. Hopefully my winter breaks will be freer but I'll be taking cover classes for all the ones I've missed so there goes it all again.

Till later, ta-da!


	11. Eternal Embarrassment

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 11**

**Eternal Embarrassment **

Masquerade signed. This was the third time he'd entered Runo's room and still no sign of Alice. He felt her presence here, but he couldn't see her. …. He wasn't going blind was he?....Who the hell was he kidding! He could see the whole room so damn clearly!

He turned around and disappeared.

Today he had done something he would never regret. And he wanted Alice to be the first one to know. I'm giving you three guesses……………………… If you're onto Dan and Draco then you just won the cookie!

That's right people! Masquerade had sent Draco to the Doom Dimension where the now possibly dead dragon was resting in peace. His main intention was to send away Dan and the brunette nearly did get sent away but Draco threw him back. Pitiful. The blonde had left the now-too-famous brawler on his knees and on the verge of tears. Even he couldn't explain the joy he felt at his victory. He hoped this would lead to some positive results, like the breaking of the battle brawlers. So far nothing was happening.

Alice had been ignoring him for the past week. And she was doing it so well that he nearly fell into a trauma thinking the transport card had made him invisible! But realized thus was not the case yesterday when he appeared in front of her and the girl staggered back, glared at him, 'hn'-ed and walked away. She was ignoring him so bad.

He could think of two possible reasons.

First: She was pissed at the Battle Brawlers for leaving her back alone. They had been gone over a week to kick some bad guy butts. They had left saying that she would be better off at the side lines where chances of her getting hurt were slim, after all she didn't brawl.

Second: She felt guilty trying to romance with the main villain of whole story while her friends were fighting on the front lines against him and she was playing with him on their far backs.

A third reason had also popped into his head lately. Maybe she found out about him. Maybe she had seen through his mask or somehow managed to find out who he was. Somehow seen how he had come to rest in his current state and all the things he had done. How his mind worked, and his character. He closed his eyes. The third guess was highly unlikely. Nobody knew a thing about him. He had made sure of it. Even on the web he was a mystery.

He appeared again in Runo's room. Still no sign of silly Alice. This time he decided to look for her. Under the bed, no, in the wardrobe, no, cupboard, no, behind the curtains? In the bedside drawers? Under the carpet? Sticking on the ceiling?

"Alice?" he called lightly. She was nowhere here. Suddenly something clicked in his head. The bathroom! She was hiding from him in there! Oh yea! There could be no other place! And she had been in there for God knows how long but had costed him three fruitless visits. His fourth one, would not be!

A smile graced his lips as his fingers curled around the door knob. Gently he twisted it.

…….

Alice traced the outline of the soap bar with her finger. She had been feeling so lonely lately. The Brawlers had been gone over a week. Of course they sent back messages and stuff about how they were and what they had been doing but it still wasn't the same. She had been giving Masquerade the cold shoulder as well so that doubled her boredom. All the insanity that he brought with him was sunk the day she decided to refuse his presence.

She had been in the bath for how long? She lost trace of time. To her it felt like the evening now. She pushed her lips towards her cheek as she gave her hair a high knot to keep it out of the water. It was wet as it was. The hot water surrounding her was now left foamless. All the bubbles had popped through the time. She closed her eyes.

A very light creak was heard. She looked towards the door but the bath curtains blocked her view. She could only see the blurred rough shadow of someone entering. Slim and tall. It was probably Runo. Maybe her friend was planning on surprising her. Alice bit her lower lip as a smile c made its way on her face. She decided to play along and returned to her previous relaxed posture.

Masquerade looked around. Not quite large but comfortable. The mirror was fogged and he could feel the slight warmth inside this specific room. Oh! There were curtains too and he could make out the shadow of what he assumed to be a bathtub. And hello? What do we have here?

He confidently took a step forward. Alice was hiding in here! He inwardly gave a laugh. She should've known by now that he didn't give up easy.

His hand reached forward and he gently pulled the curtain aside halfway, when large brown orbs met his own!

The next sound took the Masaki hotel by surprise. Both of Runo's parents raced up the stairs and into Runo's room which, by the way, was empty. The bathroom door was open. Mrs. Masaki moved forward and peeked in. There, sitting in bathtub behind the open translucent curtains, was a very, VERY shocked and fragile Russian redheaded girl.

"Alice, are you alright?"

"We could hear you scream loud and clear downstairs!" Mr. Masaki's voice came from behind his wife.

"Alice?" The older woman stepped closer to the girl, handing her a towel she'd fetched right now. "What's wrong?"

The girl swallowed the lump in her throat. "T-There… I…. I thought I saw… this…."

Runo's mother looked at the girl, urging her to go on.

"I thought I saw a shadow man" What a lame-o excuse. She didn't think it, she KNEW she'd seen HIM! Masquerade! After her outburst he'd even waved his hands frantically to tell her to shut up but her scream kept its pitch. And he disappeared when the bedroom's door was opened. "I'm sorry… I was just suddenly frightened"

"Of course dear, we understand" The woman smiled "I'll call Runo if it makes you feel better. Those kids shouldn't have left you behind"

Alice nodded inwardly fuming. 'Masquerade! You pervert!'

Meanwhile Masquerade had his whole face flushed red. What was he thinking! The bathroom was warm, the mirror was fogged, those were clear cut sings of someone being busy!!

He just hoped Alice didn't tear him to bits the next time he visited her.

This was eternal embarrassment for her! Though he didn't fail to notice how fragile and skinny she looked without her clothes, and so small and vulnerable. AGH! PERVERTED THOUGHTS!!!!! He was good boy….. He was good boy….. He was good boy….. He was good boy…..

He was GOOD boy!…..

**End Chapter 11**

HAHAHA! XD

I was hyper when I wrote this hehehe.

I don't think I want to write any further.


	12. The Story of Darkness

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Note:** I finally updated! Yes! Though it does take this long when you only type a word in a day. XD The chapter appears longer then the others, at least on my computer, I hope it is long, because I was going to say, "I typed in a long chapter to make up for the delay!" XD Not very long, just neutral I guess.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 12**

**The Story of Darkness**

Reasons to hate Masquerade:

Kidnapped pink diary/book.

Makes fun of friends

Touched personal garments

Broke into shower

Send Drago to Doom Dimension (Yes, she had found out via Runo)

Totally stalks!

Reasons not to hate Masquerade:

He's funny

Stomach feels ticklish when he smiles

Can be sweet and emo

Looks totally awesome when a strong wind blows

Has a good, confident voice

His presents are so cute!

Still though, his hit points do not overwhelm his minus points. How could she not forgive him?

What did he do this time?

He apologized!

Seriously?!

This morning when Alice woke up, a note was sticking on Runo's bed. It was kind of cute, it seemed like a torn out page from someone's autograph diary. The page had a fading blue color on which the words 'I am sorry' were scribbled. That really won her heart but struck her as well.

"He came in while I was asleep!" That jerk, who knows about the things he could have done!

-0-0-0-

Masquerade was bored. Actually he was kind of nervous. His current action showed both moods. Sitting on a wheeled computer chair and spinning round and round doesn't speak of much else you know.

He was wondering about the fate of the note he had given her as an apology and about his own chances with her. The bathtub incident was totally yesterdays thought, hopefully, she would have forgotten it and moved on………hopefully…….... last night her sleep didn't exactly look very peaceful. And right now, he didn't feel like popping his face into front of her, didn't want it to get injured again.

He stopped spinning and tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk. Why wasn't she coming online? Hmm… the extent of jumbled up thoughts in his heads surprised him. He needed to see a psychiatrist.

That would be a waste of time again. His last two visits cost a lot and he got the same thing from both of them "Find someone to talk to, a good friend, a close sibling, perhaps a relative or your parents? Or even an associate? You can also talk to me if you feel like it"

Okay, he had no friends, his brother was in jail, his relatives hated him, his mother was dead and his father had disowned him… what about his associates? Well… Hal-G was a mad man and Naga didn't want to talk about anything but himself and world domination, mainly just the control of the Bakugan world, what was it called again? Uh, Vestroia? He wasn't going to blurt out his feelings to a total stranger who already treated mental patients. His followers were beginning to decrease thanks to the Battle Brawlers and he had already deceived the top ten Bakugan brawlers that used to hang out with him. They annoyed him anyway. Everyone was selfish, and besides, he didn't like any of their attitudes either. They didn't have the 'villain' thing in them.

Every time he would look over his shoulder, he would be surprised he was still living. After everything he went through, he still couldn't believe he found a path to walk, a reason to live. Believe it or not, that over grown flying lizard had given him back a life. He was indebted to the lizard Bakugan.

Masquerade remembered the day so clearly. How foolish he had been. He found it hard to believe that he had himself sold. Almost two years back…

It was very late and dark. He didn't know where his father was taking him but the drive was very uncomfortable. The older male would often speak up, asking the same questions over and again. "You'll be fine in a new place, right?"

"Yes" was his monotone reply.

"I won't be there"

"Whatever"

"Everyone over there will be different"

"I don't care"

"None of your friends-"

"I don't care" he suddenly burst out. "I don't need anyone"

Soon the boy was lost in his own world. He hadn't noticed they'd stopped until someone's face banged on the window. He gave the man a frustrated look whom in return licked the window. The blonde's eye twitched. He opened the door lock, slightly opened the door, and then flew it open with a kick. On the other side the man was slightly thrown back but fell down due to lack of balance. The child smirked and calmly stepped out. His father signed.

"Now come on brat, let's go"

The building was old, broken and the stench inside was of filth. He had only smelt alcohol once but this building seemed to be a bottle itself. It made him loose his senses for a while but his body was quickly adjusted. The people inside were far worse then the construction holding them. With just one look he could tell they were all addicts and the unwelcome odour was of drugs. What was he doing here?

He made sure none of the filthy people touched him and followed his father like a tail. It wasn't until they entered a large room that his lungs finally sucked in clean air. It seemed like an office of some sort. It was a completely different picture from the rest of the gutter. A big bulky man walked over to them, with the look on his face it was clearly visible that they'd been expected. The old man looked straight at him, then at his father and back at him again.

"This is your son?" He snorted or laughed, the boy couldn't tell "He looks a lot like Philia, doesn't he? He's got nothing in common with you"

The blonde was suddenly alert. How did this trash of a man know his mother.

"Still worth it though, eh?" His father grinned.

"Yes, all said wasn't exaggerated" he laughed. He suddenly stopped. "He's scarred!" His sudden burst caught everyone in the room by surprise. His stuffed thumb stroked the boys' cheek where the small straight line scar was present, old, but still very visible.

"Don't touch me!" The blonde slapped away his hand. The man still stared down at him with bulging eyes.

"The shit in jail did that" His father casually replied. The stranger grabbed the youngsters' arm, finding more scars and bruises that weren't supposed to be there under normality.

"I said don't touch me!" He yanked his arm away, fighting with a chilling glare for someone his age.

"He's scarred all over you idiot!"

"He's fine, he's fine, nothing a little make up can't cover" A third voice broke in. "Besides, we don't need him for looks, just the physique" A woman stepped front as she looked the boy up and down. One side of her lips twitched upwards "Quite a feminine body" The youngest in the room growled at her comment/insult. "Nothing that will stop you from becoming a lab rat, so no worries" A smile took over her facial features. But it wasn't the least bit comforting, rather wicked.

"What about my money?"

The 'boss' signaled a big man by the door who went out closely followed by the child's father who blew a loud whistle, then gave a wild laugh and screamed, "America! Here I come!"

The blonde also turned around to leave. He had only taken a few steps when the door was slammed shut in his face. "HEY!" He protested.

"Sorry babe. You're not going anywhere" The woman replied. She turned around and exited the room by another door on the far end. Her head popped back in. "Procedure per usual" and she was out again.

The blonde boy tried to leave as well, only to be picked up by one of the large men at the door.

"Now you belong to me" The ugly man said. The child simply glared at him.

"Let me go"

"But you don't have anywhere to go. Your father gave you to me, he sold you to me"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was someone's sick idea of a joke "He wouldn't go anywhere with out me"

"Yes he will. He's going away, he's going abroad" the man smiled and started slowly "He go to foreign country, he go to _America_" It seemed as if he was addressing an idiot who didn't understand normal speech.

That was it. He cracked. He had seen it coming but he didn't think it would really happen. He screamed, kicked, yelled, he cursed so much. A man dragged him down the hall and he was tossed in a room, in which he made tantrum. He didn't know how long he'd kept it up but it wore him out badly. The boy just lay on the ground and silently cried.

When his eyes fluttered open the next morning, he brought havoc with his waking. He tried the door but it was locked from the outside. It was then things began to sink in. His father had sold him off to some child traders or something, but the way the woman addressed him seemed more likely that he had been handed over to some mad doctors… or scientists.

No matter how much he begged, apologized or promised, the nightmare didn't seem to end. He swore never to steal again, never to bunk school again, to give up all his friends, to never be rude, to respect his father, but no. nothing would rewind. And no matter how much he tried to wake himself, he found believing more and more that this was all actually happening. He apologized for everyday of his life, he begged to be let out and be with his family again, all in silent prayer. But nothing worked. Maybe he deserved it. Maybe the fates wanted to teach him a good lesson. He had been a pain to everyone his entire life. He wouldn't even spare total strangers from humiliation. Maybe he did deserve it. The thought was least comforting and more depressing.

By mid-day, he had exhausted himself and hunger had caught on.

After a few days the boy was taken elsewhere, but it seemed the same to him. His new room had the same closed in walls, the same emptiness. It took him over a month to accept that this was his new home, his new miserable life. Over the course of time he grew weaker, paler and thinner. His rebellious nature gave way to a lazy weaker one. He stopped eating properly, stopped talking, and stopped doing anything for that matter. All he did was lay the entire day. He was half living!

His caretaker went into depression as well. The child was her personal favorite and she hadn't even started the tests on him. How could he recoil so much? Her intentions had never really been pure but a job was a job. She had heard a lot about the blonde child and hired the right man to get him. The child was perfect by the wanted standards, his lean athletic figure and the slight feminine touch made him exceptionally attractive. But no one could get his hands on him. He was a fighter, a rebel, a menace.

Now that the faculty had finally took him in the boy lost his fire. He had tried to commit suicide over a dozen times. He lived through three of his attempts and the others were stopped mid way in progress.

The blonde was in room one day when he felt a pull. He weakly opened his eyes and before his vision a piece of black paper floating towards him from the ceiling. He caught it and sat up. Before he knew it, he was elsewhere. The place was dark but visible. The very first thing he picked was the monster before him.

"I have seen your sufferings"

"…." What?

"I can feel your negatives vibrating off you"

"What are you?" Simple. Straight.

"I am a Bakugan, as you are a _human_" He hated that tone, the tone that made him feel inferior, as if the speaker thought he was a dunce or something equal or low. Though the child's thoughts spoke otherwise, his face remained unchanged and he stared innocently up at the lizard. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel any fear at all. "I can help you?"

"How?" His response was quick and automatic.

"I can give you anything you want, wealth, power, granting your wishes will be a minors' play for me"

"I don't want anything"

"Yes you do. You want power! You need it to make things turn your way. The road to obtaining it isn't very long and I will help you through it, I will help you achieve your goals, obtain your desires. Once you have it, you can do anything you want"

"…Okay…"

"Do you want power?"

"…Yea…"

"Then remove the weakness from your voice, make it sound like you want it!"

"YES! I do"

"Good…. Now child, I will help you… but in return you must help me, do you agree?"

Of course he agreed!

Naga gave him a home, no, a mansion to live in. he gave him a loving family, his family, and riches. But overtime, the blond realized that the people in his mansion were just pigments of his imagination that Naga brought out as hallucinations. It was now no wonder why no one in the house wanted to touch the child, because he would pass right through them. Naga could only give material things, he could not materialize living things so he impressed them on the boys mind when they were never really there. Besides, every being the blond asked for was either dead or he just wanted Naga to bring them so he himself could kill them.

He asked Naga to take them away. He could live on his own. Then the world was introduced to Bakugan and his work started. Apparently he had the honor of touching the first Bakugan card that fell from the sky, and through that he had met the large, pearl colored beast.

Throughout people talked against him, hated him, he didn't care. He was never loved to begin with. He took care of old rivals and enemies as they all had become addicted to the silly Bakugan game. He was the cold blooded, stone hearted, king of the game. And frankly, he didn't care what happened to the over sized creatures. It never bothered him the least bit that he was sealing their fates to their hell. They were creatures of a parallel world, they probably had no feelings, whatsoever.

Everyday was the same … until that Russian redhead spoke of him. She praised his eyes! He couldn't believe it. She liked something him. Even though it had happened in the most unlikely, unromantic kind of way and he would rather not bring up the topic but it made his stomach tingle in a strange –funny- kind of way.

And he sure as hell knew she wasn't just something Naga had pushed in his head. She was real. She breathed. He could touch her and feel the vibe she gave off. She was alive. But a barrier still blocked her from him. She was a part of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, he could fall into a trap for all he knew, but the thought didn't really bother him. He could come up with a plan on the spot and get himself loose and free agin.

He signed. How could Alice be such a happy child? Both her parents had been hanged for opposing the leading government party in the Russian Federation. Yet she didn't seem to be fazed by it. It made him wonder if she even knew that. She was happy, smart, pretty, HOLD IT! He did notice it! Sometimes during his visits, he would notice the air around her shift to gloom and doom, which was very noticeable to him since he was always greeted by her warm welcoming surrounding.

'_beep'_

His eyes immediately darted to the screen. Someone had logged into the Brawlers website. He smirked, "Alice"

-0-0-0-

Meanwhile, the read headed Russian female was checking for any updates from her teammates. Poor Dan lost his Drago. From what she'd heard, he wasn't doing so well. She hoped there was good news laying around. A pop up appeared. The girl read it, her lips moving with the words but no voices came out - silent reading. Someone wanted permission to video confer and chat with her. Well… whoever this person was, he/she was defiantly a member of the site or else he/she wouldn't be able to contact her. So… it was safe? … okay then …

"Masquerade!"

"You haven't forgotten me!" he grinned. Alice frowned. She raised her finger at him and was about to burst out a lecture when she suddenly remembered her self oath. She stopped. She wasn't supposed to talk to him, she had vowed not to, a vow to herself, to her inner conscious. She simply crossed her arms and 'hn'-ed.

"What?" he asked baffled. "Oh come on!" he whined "Is it about yesterday?"

The girl typed a reply _**–you are a pervert-**_

"No I'm not!"

_**-yes you are-**_

"Prove it! NO wait! … Forget I said that…"

She smiled _**–thankyou-**_

"For what?"

One of her eyebrows rose up. She disappeared and came back, holding the note towards the webcam. He couldn't really read it because the girl was holding it so close that the letters on it appeared blurred but he knew what it said. It was the one he'd left her.

"Yes, you're welcome princess. So am I forgiven?"

_**-no-**_

"HEY!" he frowned. But his face settled back, "Do I still get to see you. Come over?"

_**-NO-**_

"Didn't think so …" He knew he was going to go bug her sooner or later anyway. "What's your favorite color?"

_**-what-**_

"I don't know … hmm … Do you get periods?" he immediately shut up after that as Alice's eyes nearly blew out.

"PERVERT!" Her voice came loud and oh-so-clear- through his computer speakers. Then the camera turned off and she logged out.

…

…

…

"Heh… oops…" He was choosing to go to her later, very, very later. "I think the conversation went well"

**End Chapter 1****2**

I find the chapter very dark and my friend is calling me evil, but I just tend to flow with my emotions. I don't know what I was feeling when I sketched this. XP

Forgive me!!!!!!!!!!

The ending and opening were okay, I guess. Hehe. Still weird I guess … Hmm … how did Masquerade find out about the 'girl factor'? o.O Well, he does sit on the computer all day, more preciously, the internet … And you never know what teens do out there XD

P.S. Thank you to all the reviewers and readers for the patience and one specific one which told me to 'get off my lazy ass' haha, that one got me started typing this chapter. Thank you once again to all reviewers, you guys got me boosting! Attention means a lot, hehe.

Next chapter will be out once I decide what to do in it. Currently I am drawing a blank. Though I will get something once the light in my head clicks. Any help would be grateful.

Till the next update, Cya!


	13. Secrets Surface

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 13**

**Secrets Surface **

Shun could not believe his eyes. He was perfectly willing to accept a faint screaming somewhere in the back of his head that was saying that it might have been a dream. But everything else told him otherwise. He still couldn't believe it.

The boy leaned back in his chair and thought back to the heinous event.

Just a few hours ago he had logged into the Battle Brawlers website and guess who he found online? Well apart from the millions of members, there were two specific ones. Three guesses, even though it would take only one for a sane person to figure it out. Oh yea, it was one of the administrators –Alice- and a hacker –Masquerade! And the two were in a video chat!

He would've died right then and there if he had been a good forty to fifty years older with an old heart, and he really wished he did, but he didn't. His killer headache was back, and so was the pain in his chest. It wasn't a pain that said 'you're gonna die young man!' no, in fact it was the 'Why her?' kind of pain.

Alice…

He had trusted her so much, allowed himself to get weak in her company and even supported her when the conflict of a spy in the team broke out. She said she wasn't … She even proved it! But she ended up being one … or at least that's what his head was telling him. Why else would she be chatting with Masquerade? Why so secretly? And they weren't talking like strangers, but like buddies! Like they'd talked over coffee –or a webcam- a hundred times before!

And the part that had made the ninja hell bent mad – Masquerade asked her if he could visit her "again". Visit her? And, again? Oh, something was beyond fishy alright.

Now to the seriousness of the situation.

Shun was so confused and shocked right now, and the feeling of betrayal kept tugging at the strings on his heart. He hadn't told anyone about what he'd seen or more preciously, that he had caught Alice.

The male groaned as he sat straight again and began scanning their site.

It was quite obvious to him that Masquerade had a thing for Alice, and the Russian girl was warm and welcoming to him as well. His headache was getting worse. How long had the two been committed? To what length did their bond go? Were they even committed in the first place? Did Alice always leak information right under their noses?

Brakes!

How could he even think something like that! As far as he had observed, she had said nothing to Masquerade. She wasn't even talking to him, probably upset with him or something. 'Upset with him or something' … great! That was relationship enough!

'Or Masquerade could be controlling her through her grandfather….' Possibilities, possibilities … The girl was really attached to her senior and had herself said that she would go through any lengths to save him. Masquerade could be taking advantage of her weakness and thus bounding her to himself.

But how the heck could he be so sure? What if it was Hal-G on the top and Masquerade under him. What about Naga? The Bakugan was defiantly on the top of the food chain but who was under whom from there on?

His headache only got worse.

Whatever the case, Shun made up his mind under the storm that was brewing in his head. He would approach Alice himself. The team was heading back in two days anyway. He would ask her everything. Only then there would peace on his mind. What about his heart?

'If I had confessed, would it have made a difference now?' He closed his eyes and wondered.

**-x-X-x-**

The redheaded Russian girl was beyond excited. Runo had come back today with the rest of the team. Of course with them came the bad news to Dan's household that their son was slowly going insane with the absence of his talking Bakugan and was planning in depth about going to the Doom Dimension to retrieve his great partner. She would knock sense into him once he came over in the afternoon, for now, she had to stop bouncing on her spot.

The girl hummed an old folklore tune as she served her customers, the stares and comments of whom she had learned to ignore since childhood. Compliments, of course, went answered with a gentle 'Thank you'.

From the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of bright blond spiked up hair and the girl whirled around on instinct, her heart beat quickening. Her eyelids dropped to normal when she realized it was just a young blond boy running around making trouble. The small incident reminded her of Masquerade, someone she hadn't thought of since morning and hadn't seen since two whole days.

Alice nervously rubbed her forehead. That stupid, stupid CREEP! He was invading her thoughts a lot more these days and her stomach always started feeling all ticklish from the inside when it came to him. A smile unconsciously started spreading on her lips.

The girl went to the back to get butter out of the fridge. As she opened it a voice startled her from behind.

"Hey!" She looked over her shoulder and saw the masked male leaning against the other wall. Think of the devil … the girl signed. "I think I picked a good time to come, don't you think so too? I mean you're reacting better then I expected" Ignore, ignore, ignore, lalalala, ignore. "And you didn't even yelp 'Masquerade!'" She tried not to think about the day 'that' incident happened, the one in the bathroom… God that was SO embarrassing!

"Go. Away" She gave her clear message and then went back to work. The male didn't bother her after that.

Not until it was closing time at least.

The girl was pulling down the shutters when he suddenly appeared on the other side of the glass window and waved his hand. She gave him 'the eye' then closed the binds and then the shutter. When she moved to the next one, he was already there waiting. Both his hands were clasped together as he mocked a begging apology. She rolled her eyes and removed him from her sight. The blond had the nerve to show his hidden face on the next window as well. Alice shook her fist at him and proceeded to shut the opaqueness on his face. At the next window he stood pouting, head hanging low but looking up to show his displeasure …and possibly a sincere apology. Pervert.

She closed the shutter.

The girl turned around with a loud sigh and leaned her back against the now covered window. Her stomach was filled with butterflies again. Somewhere in her heart there was a little voice telling her to forgive the offender. It was probably a mistake when he came in on her. What kind of a moron bursts into the bathroom of a girl's room anyway? Definitely a desperado.

"Should I get on my knees?"

Alice jumped a bit to the side. She was not only startled by his sudden call but presence as well. One thing was very clear to her; she had to steal that transport card from him someday soon. Think of the miraculous consequences!

"Please leave me alone. You'll get me in trouble" The girl was surprised and pleased at her own tone, she had handled the situation like a professional! A woman! Alice walked away from him.

"Come on!" He pleaded "I apologized so many times! Here, let me add more, Alice! I'm so, so, so sorry! I swear I'll never do anything to upset you again!"

The smallest of smiles caught her lips and she had to make an effort to have it suppressed. If anything, she would've turned around and simply said 'alright! You're forgiven!' but alas! Such was not meant to be, because they both stood on the opposite side of the line. If only…

Before Alice could step on the first mounting upstairs, Masquerade came in her path. The blond leaned coolly in the small space that rose with the stairs to the upper floor. His upper arm pressed against the wall, and the other with his hand pushing the opposite wall, he stood blocking her path. Instantly the girl took a few steps back, being careful not to trip on the heels of her foot wear.

"You're being really nasty over such a minor incident"

"Minor!" Alice was normally very tolerant and patient. But to hell with that all! The male had broken in on her bath and was now labeling it minor! That body was only meant for her future husband, who-so-ever he maybe. Of course there was still a lot of room for female development because she was only thirteen. None the less- "Masquerade I deserve to punch you square in the face for breaking in on me! That was contemptible! I don't know why I still allow you to harass me, stalk me! You think I'll forgive after that!"

"Uh … yes? …." The glare she gave in return made him quiver a bit. "No, I meant no, 'yes' just slipped out of me" Then he stopped. "But it was an accident!" This came out in a wail.

She pointed her forefinger in the center of his face. "You" Alice poked the tip of his nose "Deserve so much misfortune"

He signed and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Believe me, I've already been through a lot, worse then you have." His tone suddenly cheered up, "BUT! We both have one thing in common, no siblings and no parents"

Alice stared back at him like he was insane. For once she was sure he had disappointed parents. She had asked him one very un-fine day and he had said something like _they're too busy looking after him. _'Him' as in a brother perhaps. And now here he was announcing orphandom. And where the hell did he hear about her parents? She never talked to anyone about her parents.

"Why would you presume me to have no parents?"

Masquerade raised a brow, a motion that went unseen by the Russian. "I read an article about them. Gehabich? Aren't you?" She didn't respond. He was actually looking up information about the girl, the only thing that appeared on her surname –apart from info on the Battle Brawlers site- were some articles from Russian papers. "Weren't your parents hanged due to some political court problems?"

The girl furrowed her brows. "No. My father is in the military and my mother is a business woman, they keep transferring stations due to their jobs so we haven't settled in a permanent place. That's why I live with my grandfather. I talked with my mother yesterday and my father is very much alive and healthy as well, thank you for your concern" He couldn't help but notice the slight bitterness in her voice. "I'm not the only person in the world with Gehabich for a surname"

And then they both just stared at each other.

Masquerade signed. "I just need to talk to you. Your friends obviously don't take me very seriously, but I'm sure they heed your opinion. I don't want to hurt anyone … at the moment"

Alice slowly blinked. "If you're talking about Dan-"

"Dear Daniel has big plans for himself and the Doom Dimension, and so do his little cronies. If they go there, there's no returning"

"If they're going there, then there must be a way back"

Masquerade shook his head. "Only I know of it, perhaps you do too. It's hidden in plain sight and its surrounding are quite repulsive if you ask me, but I've seen it in your drawing, I've shown it to you, I've been there myself many times, I wonder if you'll be able to do the math" The boy smirked. He could see how much he had confused her.

The girl opened her mouth, and when nothing came out, she shut it. Opened it again, and then shut it again as well. _'So, will you show me the place, because you already know how much of idiots my friends are and they'll defiantly go the Bakugan hell and I'll have to help them back' _

"You want to know?" A small grin came on his face. "It's not really that difficult to guess, just think a bit. You … me … a tree … water"

And at that exact moment she recalled the trip. Her first experience through the transport/teleport card. The place that Masquerade was quite keen to know as to how she had been there –she never had. A place that matched eerily with one of her dreams and a drawing. Ah! That place. But … where was it? Was it in the locality? Was it even in this country?

"Consider it a present for your birthday"

And the two vanished in a fall of sparkles.

**-x-X-x-**

When the stinging sensation in Alice's eyes ended, she was at the local children's park; the same one she crossed everyday on her trip to the grocery store.

"We're here!" The male announced. The girl looked around for something magical, imaginative, something she had probably missed before despite her routinely small minute visits. She found nothing new in the empty playground. "Come on" He grabbed her wrists and began to lead her towards the back. The far back wall of the ground had a corner knocked down, but nobody really walked past it because it lead into the growth of an overgrown plantation of trees. The greens had grown enough to make a small forest there.

As he tugged her wrist to hurry and follow his steps, the girl pulled her hands free. She held it close to her chest and her brain finally managed to do some serious thinking. Here she was, at midday, in the park, with Masquerade and headed into an abandoned greenery where there were probably dozens of snakes and scorpions and bugs and thorny bushes, AND –most importantly- where a teenage girl had been murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Oh God, what was she getting herself into? For all she knew Masquerade could have been that murderous ex.

"What?" The blond shook his head in a questioning manner. "Afraid of a bit of darkness?"

And sure enough, there was darkness –cool shade- where the trees stood close against each other in an endless horde. Whatever idiot had grown them so tightly had probably not lived to see what eerie look they gave the back of the playground. Perfect place for murder.

"Uh … I-"

"Come on!" He once again grabbed her wrist and dragged her through the broken part of the wall. The girl started a bit of a struggle but his grip was firm and even hurting.

They had moved in the shadows created by the trees and the male continued to drag her along. This is where she started panicking. As if tripping over roots and stones wasn't enough, now she had to worry about the branches hitting her on the face, the leaves ruining her hair, the bugs sitting on the trees AND him killing her in cold blood.

Her struggle to break out of his grab increased. Before her her body took an extreme measure the two broke out into an opening. And there was instant recognition.

Alice just stared on with her lips ajar. This had to be some kind of a joke.

The place didn't have an enchanting look to it at midday; it looked quite plain, so regular right now.

"Ah! The secrets of the world! See how such complicated and unexplainable things can be hidden in such plain view. It almost sounds like crap" The blond laughed at himself and continued to walk towards the water; his back on the Russian girl. "I was having fits when it was first showed to me. Do you know there are thousands of more everywhere around the world? These are where the Bakugan cards actually sprouted from. Then they flew into the sky and rained down paranormally"

Alice blinked. "So you supposed that … this place is somehow linked to … Vestroia?"

"Supposed?" Masquerade grinned. He walked forward and put a foot on the water surface. Then he put his second and was walking on the uppermost layer of water as Alice watched on bemused. But then again, if you're hanging out with this guy, you should be ready to expect anything. "I know this place is linked to Vestroia"

"Have-Have you ever…?"

The male smiled and turned around, extending a hand for the girl to take. His companion wasn't too sure if she should accept it. The creep was standing on water and she didn't really have any super cool abilities like that. During that hesitant second she noticed a faint disappearing glow a step behind Masquerade on the water surface. That was where he had previously stood. Then she remembered a card that Masquerade had used to stand on air. It left impressions like that. He was standing on one of his cards.

"Attempting to cross this place is very dangerous. You can leave body parts behind" When the girl gasped the male chuckled. "Come on" His last two fingers curled inward.

The girl tightly gripped his fingers. After taking a few strong breaths Alice very cautiously put one foot on the water and unlike her prediction, she fell in. Masquerade laughed whilst the girl squealed as he pulled her out. Alice hadn't fallen in fully, only till her knee, but that was really enough. She stepped on his card and frowned at him.

"Now stay close to me, because the card moves with my feet, if you stay in one place you might fall down again, and next time in deeper waters"

Alice wanted to jump off his card right then and there. What the heck, who was he playing at? She ought to pull his ear a bit, and twist it, since punching his face wasn't really an option.

He looked down at her as if he could read her thoughts. Masquerade smiled and turned his back to her, proceeding to walk forward. Alice stood her ground (or waters in this case) but once she felt her heels not meeting solid, she was quick to follow him. She could see the faint markings on the spot where Masquerade would previously have kept his foot, marks that faded away within seconds. It was just as pretty in water, more captivating then in air.

When his feet stopped moving, she stopped as well and looked up. The boy turned around with a beaming face.

"Now we just have to stick our heads underwater and woala!"

Both the girl's eyebrows rose. "Underwater?"

"Yep!" His chirpy tone didn't change… the guy was serious? "It's underwater. I hope you took your swimming classes seriously"

"What?" She never took swimming classes because the Godforsaken water in Russia remained frozen for ten months a year! And she never had any intentions of learning to swim as well. "It's at the bottom of this … uh …?" Lake? Pool? Pond? Puddle?

"Yea, at the very floor" He pointed both fingers downwards.

This guy … was insane.

Change of plans for Alice.

" … I have to go back now … Runo must be waiting for me" She showed a small nervous grin and her eyes looked left and right.

"Uh …" Masquerade rubbed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger. "Uh … okay, sure" If she didn't want to see a natural gate to Vestroia, that was fine by him. He just wanted to be useful to her. At least now she knew such things existed; now whether she ended up in Vestroia by accident or by purposeful intentions, he'll know he was useful. Besides that, he was used to the idea of loosing people. But this time … he wasn't sure whether he really wanted to loose this girl.

Actually, he didn't want to loose this girl.

"Don't" The blond started and the other turned her attention to him. "Don't attempt to cross it without a Bakugan." Alice nodded. It's not like she was going to cross it anyway.

The boy started walking towards the side and Alice walked beside him, just a little way behind. She looked down behind her and found her previous steps fainting away from opaqueness. So pretty, so magical, so unreal. The girl tumbled on her footing and found that they had reached land; the toe of her boot had collided with the soil nearly tripping her over. She composed herself instantly.

"Do you want-"

"Thank you for this. I'll be heading back now" The girl cut in quickly and started back on the way she remembered he had dragged her through. The Masaki residence wasn't too far from here, besides, she took longer trips on foot for the groceries.

"Okay" The villain scratched the back of his head. "Watch out for the snakes" Alice stopped, a shiver visibly running through her.

"Snakes?" Her back facing him.

"Never mind" He chuckled pocketing his hands and walked past her into the trees. The girl quickly followed him, a bit too closely. They finally came out into the clearing. "Later" Alice nodded and was midway leaving when- "Hold on!" He stepped closer and picked out something from her hair. Even though he tossed it aside without showing her, she still saw it once it fell; and God damn it, that was the biggest insect she had ever allowed on herself. The lunch in her stomach felt uneasy.

"Thanks" Her eyes looked up. …You know, Masquerade was a weirdlynice guy.

"Whoops, what's this?" Whilst one hand remained hiding in his pocket, he used his free one to dig into her hair behind her ear, fingers slightly brushing against visible skin before he pulled out what ever. Alice's eyes widened a bit as he showed her what he had found. A flower! Oh he was clever alright. A cleverly weirdly _really_ nice guy, in a strange way. Her cheeks darkened in color. It was a small –thumb sized- bright yellow flower with a very small stem. "I think it will look prettier here." He placed it perfectly with the support of her ear lobe. And the little flower sat innocently on the top her ear. "It goes nicely with your dress too"

"uh, thank you …"

The guy gave her a charming smile. "Mention not." He patted her cheek and vanished.

The second he left Alice left out a loud groan. The whole while her stomach had done a lot of flipping and the blood circulation in her body had also increased judging by her madly beating heart. She stood there for a while letting herself calm down so she could think properly.

She had always imagined her boyfriend to be perfect; sweet, kind, the type that would instantly charm people. Masquerade … didn't really charm people … in a good way. Half the world wanted him dead. But he was quite the character when you got to know him, even know half of him. He was defiantly charming … in her eyes at least.

The red head giggled and proceeded to move to the –always open- gate of the park. She hadn't moved a full five steps yet when she stopped dead in her tracks. Her arms fell limply at her sides as she stared unbelievingly at the person who stood in her way at a distance of a few meters. Apparently, they both were staring incredulously at each other. The girl's lower lip quivered and her eyes began to swirl with emotions as she desperately tried to gather herself, think of an excuse to feed.

She always feared that Masquerade would ruin the peace for her. But this was just too sudden! She wasn't ready for this. Why did all the bad people all get away with everything? Somebody had to give her a warning before this happened.

'_It's not fair' _

There was no point in denying, in lying. The person had obviously seen her with Masquerade. Seen the two talking, laughing … Oh God … She was done for. The silence was becoming unbearable and Alice grew nervous by the second. She had to break the silence; it might just give her a bit of confidence.

"S-Shun?"

**End Chapter 13**

**CLIFFHANGER!**

Well, she had to get caught sooner or later. This chapter shows that you can never hide a secret forever, because there are just too many people in the world XD, not forget to mention security cameras. If you hide it from the people you know, strangers might know your dark side. I think it's always better for strangers to know rather then loved ones. .

Cuz, seriously, whenever we lie to them … it's for their own good. .

Hehehe! Bad advice.

Any who, that was today's chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it.

And on a more **important note**, the story is coming to a closure! So keep the reviews coming and do tell me your predictions of the ending, it will be most interesting and amusing. Might just persuade me to change the original one I have in my mind XD … Also! I'm preparing another fiction about Alice and Masquerade which is on a more psychological and romance note (both will be separate people here as well), would that be interesting? I hope so. I feel excited thinking about it! Do answer.

Please do review!

See you all in the next update! Byz!


	14. Death to Spies

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 14**

**Death to Spies **

"S-Shun?"

The Russian girl stood rooted to spot, paralyzed by fear and anxiety. She tried to form words but not only her vocal cords, this time, her mind also failed her. Her arms hung limply by her sides as she stared wide eyes at her team mate. Her heart beat rate doubled every second and she felt she might loose her senses any moment.

This had to be some sort of bad dream, or a far off notion of what might come to her. But for some wild reason, her mind refused to believe that she was in bed, or unconscious somewhere on unknown territory. This felt dreadfully real and very painful.

It appeared that both were lost for words. Shun was just as shocked as Alice. Neither ready to believe that the other had actually been there … Witnessed …

Alice felt her knees going weak. Her throat was dry. She had always been a poor liar. How on earth was she going to hide all this mess now? What had she gotten herself into? She had a chance before, to eliminate Masquerade from herself mentally and physically, but she refused her own advice, went on and brewed herself this… this… Oh God!

Shun had composed himself and was staring quite intently at the girl. She was a mess in her mind, her face showed that much. Now, how was she going to cover herself? He was interested in knowing. His insides burned and he couldn't help but feel bitterness soaking every inch of him.

'_Why Alice? Why? Why you?'_

He moved his lips apart but nothing came out. Did he want something to come out? What would one say in a situation as such? What would one do in as such? What ever the answer was, he felt betrayed, very betrayed. Ninja training never taught any of _this_.

Alice had other very urgent thoughts cramming her head. How much had he seen? Heard? How was she going to show her face to her friends EVER again? Even a fool wouldn't believe her story. If only the ground could open up right now and just swallow her whole.

Her mind was made up all of a sudden. She acted purely on impulse, on fear, on guilt. Her first step was weak but the second came a bit better, and the third; bolder, the fourth; even better. She walked right to him and passed him quickly.

"I'm sorry"

Those were the last words Shun heard from Alice before she disappeared, not just from the scene, but from his life, from the team, from her temporary residence and job. She was gone… She left … And he still didn't believe it.

Even at the last second as she moved closer and yet more towards him, past him, he was hoping her face would change to a nervous smile and she would explain how Masquerade was always threatening her, using her for his own selfish purposes, how she couldn't turn him down for this reason or that, that she was bound to him because of crap.

And now, he would have been contented if she had just broken into tears and collapsed on the grass, begged for forgiveness, apologized a million times and given her reasons for double crossing them. He would have forgiven her. Honest! He would have fought for her, kept her on the team, in their hearts.

He remembered still, when he turned around and found her gone. He was so certain of himself that she'd have gone back to the Masaki residence, to Runo. Perhaps she would have explained herself or locked herself, he didn't care, but he wanted to see her there, where she should have been. And when the red head didn't return by night fall, everyone was panicking. They were searching high and low. The police was informed and Alice's die-hard fans and stalkers also started the search for the missing girl.

Only one person had seen her and he too was an old man with feeble sight. "Yes, yes … She was boarding a train, I remember. Such a fine looking young lady. Unmistakably her" He replied scanning her photo.

Which train?

He didn't remember. He was just sitting on the platform waiting for his daughter.

What time?

Perhaps in the afternoon or later, maybe before. The sun was defiantly lower then noon … He wasn't very accurate.

After two days of miserable searching and no results, Shun dropped the bomb. He told them everything; everything that at least he knew. How he'd seen her on their website with Masquerade. The reason he came back before them and followed Alice, and how she left with Masquerade. The two of them returning from a certain spot and their little exchange of words. The stunned look on Alice's face when she saw him.

Runo had pounced on Shun and would have pulled off his skull if not for Dan and Joe. The younger Masaki screamed at him very harshly and said words that were better of undiscovered. She accused him of blaming Alice, polluting her reputation due to his own personal problems, grudges. If anything were ever wrong Alice would surely have shared it with Runo. They were closer then best friends or sisters!

Joe did an excellent job of calming her down during which Shun had also bit back his retorts and paced the room to calm his own nerves. Even when the room cooled to a considerably calmer degree Joe still didn't enjoy it. This wasn't the type of reunion he was expecting with his new friends, particularly because he had been discharged from the hospital not long ago and didn't want to drown into any new types of depressions.

Nobody was quite ready to believe what Shun had just said but they were forced to. Why else would Alice leave them so suddenly?

After a lot of debating –during which Runo ignored their total existence altogether in her family's restaurant- they came to an abrupt conclusion. Alice was indeed guilty.

Dan was –for the first time- very quiet. He looked drained, exhausted and very pale. The brunette had defended Alice fervently and then helplessly given up. He looked dazed as he walked back home, his bike slowly being dragged alongside him. It was perhaps wise for him not to ride it in such a clouded state of mind.

Joe left just as silently as Dan, so when his mother saw him she actually thought someone had died. He hadn't expected Alice to turn out a minion to the blond Bakugan player.

If Marucho was utterly disappointed, he hid it well. He did pass around a smile while leaving but everyone saw the hollowness behind it.

Even though Julie was reasonably pleased with the explanation she still scorned at Shun when she left, muttering something that only reached his ears as she passed him to leave, and he was reminded dreadfully of the person who had slipped past his fingers. "I thought you liked her Shun"

Of course he had! But that was no reason for him to betray his team just as she had betrayed them. He wasn't going to keep his lips locked for someone who was laughing at their backs with their enemy! Shun didn't bother saying good bye to anyone whilst leaving. He groaned as a headache made its way to him again.

Oh Alice!

-x-X-X-x-

While the Bakugan Battle Brawlers seemed to have suddenly died on the second day of their Russian team mate's absence, Masquerade remained quite active on his duty. He only slackened when news reached local ears and was finally displayed on the Brawling website, news that Alice Gehabich was a traitor. His brows went high up his forehead as he read how Alice had been functioning against them in secret all along and had run away when she had been discovered, she was also an allay of Masquerade.

Even he couldn't believe this.

It was loads of crap.

Seriously.

So good guys had their breaking points as well, eh?

He wondered where they had forced the girl to take sanctuary. She was probably shaken to the core when the accusation came. Poor girl.

He couldn't help but feel a whole lot guilty on his part. It was more then just seemingly possibly that a lot of it had been his fault. If only he'd stopped seeing that girl, none of this would have come. She was paying the price of his obsession.

Obsession?

He wasn't really obsessed with her … He just liked her. That's possibly why he was feeling guilty … And pity for her.

What must it feel like to have your own friends turn against you? Definitely not good.

Thus Masquerade started his own personal search of the run away red head. If she had no place to stay safe in he would bring her back to his lair and allow her to stay as long as she wished. She would be able to kill the time by discovering the corridors of his mansion. Even he himself hadn't unveiled the place fully, but that's probably because he spent more then half his time in the underground computer room.

Mind made up, the blond would definitely be the next unfaltering knight in shining armor.

-x-X-X-x-

The short haired woman looked out into the court yard through the kitchen window. The young teenager sat there, legs crossed and eyes dazed. The woman wondered what was bothering the girl; it was quite obvious something was wrong. Of course she knew that her most closest relative was missing but the expression on the younger female's face screamed so much more complications.

Alice had a feeling of being watched. A little search around the yard had her eyes locked with her distant aunt who –on being caught- smiled and gave the girl a light wave of her fingers then disappeared from sight. When the woman left, Alice let out a long loud sigh.

It's not like she was ungrateful, oh no, she was very thankful to her aunt and uncle for readily accepting her into their house without any solid explanation. Even though they were related in a pretty complex far-off way, they still accepted her like a lost daughter, she was very grateful for that. They were such kind people. And now she was feeling guilty all over again. She was hiding things from them. Would they throw her out if they found out that her friends had disowned her? Thank God they didn't have internet at their place because Alice was quite sure that the Bakugan Battle Brawlers website would be updated about her by now.

Her lids dropped. She had had enough of crying; it was of no use, it hadn't helped her at all. She cried almost everyday for her grandfather and she was growing distant from him every day. And now she cried for her friends too and she mentally screamed atrocities at Masquerade. If she ever saw that masked face again …

Her knuckles began to loose color from the extreme contraction she was forcing her fist into. Her nails dug into her palm and began to sting her skin but it didn't matter right now. She was going to do something about Masquerade. Kill him if she ever got the chance!

But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop the first tear from leaking out of her eye. Soon it was followed by many more.

-x-X-X-x-

It felt like ages since she had left her friend's home and cherished the company of relatives again, even though it had just been a week or less. Alice was quick to offer help in the house chores, after all, she didn't want to be a burden on her aunt and uncle. She took the same position she had in the Masaki household – grocery shopping.

And it was one fateful day that she was returning from local market that she tumbled across him…

-x-X-X-x-

Masquerade's days were going more slowly then he had ever felt. They seemed to be dragged by turtles. What ever the case, he also tumbled upon a _fateful_ day.

He was going through the recently uploaded files on his computer when something quite interesting came onto the screen.

It appeared that one of his ten goons had somehow managed to bring back his Bakugan from the Doom Dimension. What was that guy's name? Michael? Vincent? Nah, nah, it was Klaus Von Herzon! Whatever the case, he recalled quite clearly that boy's mermaid Bakugan, she and her luring tones. Quite an interesting phenomena had taken place indeed. Did this boy also know of the different gates that lay hidden on the general Earth surface? It could be a possible, how else was it possible for the German 'gentleman' to know?

The blond packed checked his gear and went to confront the lucky teen. He had a feeling something interesting was going to come out of it.

He had no idea how right he was.

-x-X-X-x-

Alice never expected to see Klaus ever again, never again in this lifetime at least. Yet there he was, with such a pissed expression on his face that she was quite sure the only reason he hadn't pounced on her yet was because she was a girl - and here she became really grateful for being one.

"Dear Miss Gehabich, I've heard that you've allied yourself with Masquerade. How true is it?"

Alice was caught off guard. "No, no, that's not true!" The redhead pleaded and hoped he believed her. Even though many facts worked against her in her current situation, she hoped she wouldn't be termed a liar as well.

"I cannot ascertain anything right now, but I do wish to participate in a battle against him. For the time being the Battle Brawlers have confirmed you to be on the opposite side of the line. May I battle against Masquerade's ally? I do wish to avenge him dearly"

"I don't have any Bakugans…"

Klaus remained silent for a while, still judging her. "You can use some of my spare"

Alice nodded and gulped. Why was she even agreeing to this? Perhaps a bit of humility might teach her something life lasting…

-x-X-X-x-

When Masquerade arrived at Klaus Von Herzon's location, he was met by a fair surprise.

There, not very far away, sat Herzon himself on a round marble table and with him sat none other then the dear damsel herself.

'_Wow, she looks depressed. Tch. Pitiful. See what relations can do to you?' _And even though he wanted to pull off some snide remarks he couldn't help but notice how much more dimmer she had become. The Alice he fell for had a beautiful mask on her face, one that brewed light and had a vulnerable and naïve core. But this Alice… she seemed a lost bird close to death.

This was not acceptable.

Whatever happened, he was sure it was the Brawlers fault, and since Von Herzon was their ally…

"Yo!"

Both heads snapped up at the new voice and what they saw they couldn't believe, their eyes screamed that much. Something flashed on the Russian girl's face and she sat up more straighter, looking directly at Masquerade, trying to see through his mask again. Klaus stood up and glared at the intruder. He gave an aura that itself radiated daggers. But Masquerade didn't care right now since he himself was raidted things much more dangerous. He was here to take care of some business for Naga and…

_'Alice_'

-x-X-X-x-

Alice was stunned to silence when she heard that familiar voice, a voice she had heard in a jolly tone all too many times, a voice she'd heard in a deadpan tone, in an emotionless tone, in volumes too familiar and this one she recognized too. He was angry, very angry. She sat up straighter to get a better look at him and her breath got caught in her throat for a few seconds. He was actually there.

Klaus –to whom she had just poured out her heart- stood up in both shock and anger. It appeared that all of her feelings were being emitted off like threats by Klaus instead of her. Well, at least now she knew that he cared enough for her. Alice had a feeling something bad was coming up and fast.

No sooner, Masquerade's lips moved again and he announced in a very clear and high tone.

"Herzon! … I'm here to dig your grave!"

**End Chapter 14**

**Byz! That's all for today!**

**Once again another update after another prolonged period –sigh- I try to update faster but something always comes up – or 'm just too lazy. I hope I remain forgiven XD**

**Hope you enjoyed. **

**Do review!**

**P.S. Thanks for reading and all the awesome reviewers!**


	15. Rejects and Reunions

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 15**

**Rejects and Reunions **

"Herzon! … I'm here to dig your grave!"

Klaus had just gotten back his mermaid Bakugan back somehow and Masquerade seemed intent on sending her back to hell.

"Let's see you try!"

Alice grabbed the boy's arm and yanked him back. What was he, stupid or something? As if the venom in Masquerade's voice wasn't clue enough, even the blonde's lips were pulled back in a snarl. He was radiating murder! When he said 'Herzon's grave' she knew he actually met his Bakugan's grave. Pain for the creature was pain for the owner. "Forget it Klaus" She said in a low voice.

The German's eyes moved to her for a while then went back to glaring at the masked villain. "It's not just for you Alice…" It was most definitely for Alice. Because of the intrusion of this-this 'thing' in her life, she was ruined! She had lost her family to HIS cause, she had lost her friends because of HIM, now she was loosing her sanity too, she was loosing herself, her beliefs. And the way she talked about HIM made it certain to Klaus that she was growing feelings for HIM. She defended HIM! Masquerade had absorbed Alice. "… It's for all of us"

Her hands slipped from his bicep and she let them hang limply by her sides. Klaus was doomed. Masquerade would never hold back.

"You don't understand what's-"

"I won't let him toy with anyone anymore, especially you Alice. Never again"

Toy?

Brightness blinded her for a few seconds but she closed her eyes. The two had left for a battle.

'_That's what everything is to him?'_

Toys.

The world was probably a playground to this scum! All this time while she was gathering up pieces of affection towards the dark side, he was toying with her! Playing his little games. Why hadn't she ever thought about it like that?

Everyone always wanted the prettiest thing to himself. Everyone always wanted his hands to be on the most desirable toy around. And there she was. She was brainy and she knew she was beautiful. And finally … she was a toy. A pretty porcelain doll that could be used, utilized then broken and discarded. A little thing he needed for playtime.

_ARGH!_

Both males appeared in light again.

Klaus had hollow eyes and in that one second glance she gave to him she knew he had lost. Masquerade stood as smug as ever.

A surprisingly harsh wind picked in the small area and her hair whipped around her face. She didn't care about the weather right now. Her hands were itching for some violence. A feeling that terrified and excited her. The grin that Masquerade directed towards her only worsened her mood.

'_I'm a toy to him'_

He was messing with her head. He was messing with her life. If Masquerade had never appeared then all this Bakugan crap would never have came! She would never had left Russia and lost anyone! Life would have been it usual self; boring and goddamn normal! But this stupid, hormonally retarded, masked blonde had to come in and ruin life for everyone!

_A TOY! PLAY GROUND! __**PLAY LAND!**_

Masquerade looked up, the grin seemingly pasted on his face. Then he took a step forward and smiled at Alice, holding out his hand. "Come on"

To where? A playing pen where she'd be stuck in a trance -his trance- like his little playthings, his pretty little toy. She was a human being. She had a life, she wanted a life! She wanted to be free of these chains of care, these stupid feelings that made you prone to heartaches and headaches. She didn't want anything to do with these feelings. Her mind was calculating and her mind was correct. Listen to your head stupid, never your heart!

Her heart also had a say in this, as per everything. What if Masquerade was trying to help? She could deny it was much as she wanted but she had felt it too. She was feeling things and he was responding to them … or maybe it was the other way round. Either way, she felt a fondness from him. He liked her, she knew it. It felt true and it felt so wrong. Feelings know no limits, neither does fondness or love. The world is full of rejects.

To assure herself that her feelings were fake, made up, just time-pass, her heart gave her a dare. The world is full of rejects after all.

She marched forwards, her hair constantly brushing her skin, very harshly, as if she stood in the middle of a storm. The sound of air cutting bore into her eardrums and she realized she'd have to scream to be heard. Very bad weather indeed. Matched her mood just fine.

The distance was crossed and she stood facing Masquerade. Klaus watched on from his spot, standing in a wilted manner and quite horrified. The world was full of pathetic rejects.

He was smiling. She couldn't even tell if it was fake or real. It felt real. If it weren't for his stupid mask she would have thought that she knew everything about him. If she didn't even know what his face looked like, what chance did she have of being accepted by him? Rejected. He never said anything about himself and knew everything about her. Stalker. He came to her uselessly and for the most pathetic of reasons. Fondness? No, he came for his toy. That's what toys were for, right? To play with in your spare time.

Toys, toys, toys, toys. She had never thought about them more than twice in the same day and today she wanted to scream it in everyone's face, over and over again, like a chant, like a stuck CD, like a curse.

_AM I JUST A TOY TO YOU!_

"Go to hell Masquerade"

"What?" He craned his head in her direction. Her voice was completely tuned out by the wind, but her lips moved in soft slow motions. Perfect, pink, feminish lips.

So what came next was a surprise.

Her heart stopped beating.

Was a toy treated like this?

She couldn't tell whether this was a reunion or some sort of acceptance.

The blond pushed his lips further onto hers. She was warm and soft. Her lips were just like her character and frame, petite, vulnerable, just for him. What did she taste like? He hummed in the kiss and she shivered. Just as his arms were about to encircle her shoulders…

Something started singing in her head. _The world is full of toys, the world is full of rejects._

She pulled back, enraged. How could he? The dare came into action. She convinced herself that she didn't want anything to do with him. Phase one of the dare, complete. Phase two, start. She raised her hand and slapped it across his visible skin with as much force as she could muster. The glass of the mask cut one of her fingers and that contact shook his mask a bit. His cheek became visible. This time she slapped him square on the cheek.

A perfect slap. Dare complete.

"YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" She didn't know when the tears had started pouring out but she was feeling them now because her vision blurred. "You…"

-x-X-X-x-

Masquerade went into shock. The first hit came unexpectedly and he was absolutely unprepared for the second, much harsher, one. His face remained stiff to the side, his eyes wide and his lips parted. What just happened? Then she yelled at him. He ruined her life … he took a step back and stumbled a little.

There was always this nagging sensation in the back of his head that he had been intruding something. He knew he'd been an irritation to many people and he enjoyed it. The world had ruined him and now he was paying the favor back to its inhabitants. But this certain Russian was a different case. He wanted … to please her … in a manner different than he used with Naga.

Alice Gehabich. Masquerade was head over heels for this girl. A girl two years his junior. A girl whose insides were his exact opposite. Opposites attract. Yep. Love hurts. Sure does.

He had wanted to be accepted and he chose the wrong person to be accepted from. He picked a person from across the line, a forbidden act. Then he wanted that person to like him because he liked that person. What a joke, he got what he wanted. And, being selfish as he was, he then wanted that person to become him, to be with him, to be special to him, to treat him in a special manner. He asked for too much apparently because he ended up having that person stamped as an outcast by her own people. Pity.

He ruined another life.

Just like his had been ruined.

He finally found one person on this wretched planet that he actually liked and what did that person do? Humiliate him when he was willing to help. Earth's inhabitants were all like this. Earth would soon be destroyed. Naga swore it would be. And Masquerade would make sure Naga kept his promise.

His shocked expression was replaced with a blank one. A pale hand raised and he pinched her cheek between his thumb and forefinger, slowly increasing pressure. Alice let out a startled cry, one mixed with pain. She tried to pry his hand away from her face but he only pressed the fingers further. He jerked her face forward and among the howling wind, pressed his lips to her ear. He ruined her life. "Too bad for you"

His fingers slipped, his voice faded and his presence was mixed with air. He vanished.

The world is full of toys. The world is full of rejects … On both sides.

-x-X-X-x-

Alice instantly began nursing her cheek. The sound of mixed voices made her turn and she found the Battle Brawlers running towards her. She noticed something she had failed to notice. Marucho's mix breed of plane-something hovering in the air, in which they all had adventures together, that was the source of all the violent winds. What crap observation skills of the obvious.

The redhead was glomped by her old companions, all of whom started talking at once. They were blubbering apologies and screaming curses at Masquerade, then there was something about celebrating and more apologies and she was literally passed around for apologetic hugs, all the while Runo clung onto her arm and kept screaming "I was right! I was right!"

What a strange reunion … just after a harsh parting.

But things between the two were never meant to be. They stood on the opposite sides of the world and supported the opposite sides of order. They had different beliefs and different levels of thought. They couldn't travel the same boat and get away with it just like that.

Her head hurt, her heart hurt, her insides felt weak. She was going to collapse any minute. What had that guy done to her? She should be feeling proud now. She had finally rid herself of him!

But it didn't feel right. It felt as if she broke a part of herself and let it float away in the waves. Alice felt horrible right now. It felt like something had crashed onto her head and finally knocked sense into her. Knocked sense in two ways; you did the right thing by pushing him away – you really need him don't you? ... She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. What had she done? Was it even the right thing? God she could be so blind at times! She let out an anguished cry and a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"Everything's going to be fine Alice. You're back with us now" Dan hugged her more tightly as she started trembling and started apologizing in incomplete, senseless statements. "You're home Alice, we're family. We forgive you, you have to forgive us" The other Brawlers were a bit surprised at the sensual amount of things Dan was saying. It was rare for him to say sentences with proper meanings. Dan, on the other hand, was surprised that Alice hadn't noticed, or congratulated him for that matter, that he was back from the Doom Dimension. He'd always pictured her as the elder sister and here he was comforting her. It was a strange sort of reunion.

Klaus remained forgotten at a side. He didn't bother entering the circle either, it felt like intruding. Unlike _someone _he knew his places.

As Alice continued to mumble gibberish, a finger began to sting. She looked at it through blurry eyes and –unmistakably- saw blood. Of course! When she slapped him, the glass on the stupid mask cut her finger. She groaned. The girl was left with a mark of a horrible day. As long as it remained on her finger, she'd be sure to have nightmares about him. No, nightmares about Alice torturing herself.

…

…

Masquerade looked at the small cut in the mirror. She had not only damaged him from the inside but she'd also etched the memories onto his skin, she'd left him with a mark of today. A small scar was soon going to surface from the glass cut on his cheek. The cut would never let him forget what happened to him today. He sighed as his middle finger moved over the small stinging mark. Another ghost had now clipped itself to him.

**End Chapter 15**

**Hn. Hn. Was this an ending you were expecting?**

**Only one chapter to go! The next update will feature the last chapter of 'Alice in Wonderland' so be sure to stick around for that! And be sure to keep your hearts ready for EVERYTHING, because it might not come out as you expect …**

**Thank you very much to all the readers and reviewers for staying throughout! I particularly loved the reviews XD cuz they show all the luuuuuuv! Haha! **

**Till the next and last update! Bye-bye! **

**Stay glued till then ^-^**


	16. Last Strand of Everything

**Firstly I'd like to extend heart felt prayers to the people of Japan. They've just gone through a high magnitude earthquake, a tsunami and than nuclear problems but they're still standing and their display of patience is very admiring. They're not looting and creating more problems but helping one another earnestly. I hope people take example from them and I sincerely pray for them to recover quickly with all the helping hands possible. Once again I extend my prayers to all those who suffered and I pray for their happiness.**

**Remember, if there had been no Japan we wouldn't have had such entertaining and creative minds on globe. They gave us anime and manga and they gave us Alice and Masquerade.**

**I pray for their safety and recovery. **

**As this is the last chapter I'd like to thanks all the reviewers up to date and many many thank you(s) to all those that will review todays update. Millions of thanks to all the supporters, critics and AliceMasquerade fans! **

**AliceXShunNotFabia****, frenchesca, ****Princess Senshi**, **Tickliash Angel, Yoshiki ClockWise, enteryournamehere5, Nazrindi, CloneGirl, HisSweetestHoney, eakoandcompany, NotEveryJulietNeedsRomeo, ThePinkRoseAle-chan, , Tex, Silver Jublie, eyye, , Centralion, morphs, Happyfish, SparkDazzleDuez, Lady Avotil, Christina, , angelVluna, Luna Stuart, Wren-chan, Tozase-Murcielago, GakuenAlicafan27, ikmss18, Zedax, Lady Sano, melodyuchiha, randomfan,mwaetht, redydragonfly, numbuh 422, Prickachu, iPurple, Flamaij, prellesjournal, chaos in the sky, MayxDrew917, Shabeeh, Azhmaria, HinaHime2, ****Dragonwings66NotLoggedIn, yo,** **daynala,** **Shooting Star, VampirePrinssess, ShadowQween27, My Heart Beats For Love, JetravenEx, Whatever-My-Name-IsXD, VAMPIRELG, splitheart1120, ALice, whodoyouthinkiam, Black Cat, acg, kyoukochan, ****fuyuki-san**and all the** anonymous **(who chose to keep themselves unnamed)**reviewers! **

**Important Point: **Alice and Masquerade are not the same here. Alice is **not** Masquerade. This is their fic so it'll be really weird for me if I kept them like one person… -shrugs- Infact, this fic wouldn't even make sense or exist for that matter if they were still one… We'll pretend that they're two different people with two different bodies and characters…yea… just for the sake of this…

Another point, if Alice and Masquerade and Alice are two different people then that means Alice doesn't have Bakugan so she doesn't play Bakugan here, just the usual advice thing-i she does.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**Chapter 16**

**Last Strand of Everything**

Masquerade had been dumped and Alice had dumped herself. What a pitiful couple they were. Indeed. Actually, they were never a couple to begin with. They just liked each other and were ruined because one person accepted her feelings a day or so too late.

She didn't care if Masquerade toyed with her anymore. She just knew that she wanted him again. She had a selfish wish but she wanted it granted. She wanted her wish in return for every good deed she had done in life. Apparently, she had fallen into the pits of desperation. God, she missed that stupid glass masked face so much. She missed his voice so much. Now she spent hours imagining what kind of face he hid behind that mask, what color his eyes were, and the shape of his brows?

After their last encounter Masquerade had taken things to a whole new level. Now creatures were unleashed from the Bakugan world and were released into their own. What was he thinking? Everyone was in constant danger everywhere. Bakugan wasn't played in parallel worlds anymore; it was played right in front of you now. Every place was a battle ground.

What was Masquerade thinking when he unleashed hell on Earth? There were plenty of things actually but the most prominent thoughts were something like this: How could Dan and his gang of idiots go in and out of the Doom Dimension like some train carried them in and out? How had Klaus pulled out Bakugans from the Doom Dimension? That place wasn't a holiday resort, at least not to his knowledge, so Dan had to have lost a limb or something, but, nooooooo. He not only came out with a much stronger Draco but also got to keep _his _girl.

If such stupid things were possible than he supposed that Naga's plans might actually make sense. With a little help from Hal-G and himself, a disaster struck and two worlds merged. Welcome Bakugans! This is Earth! Now no one would be flailing in front of his face demanding a ticket to Doom Dimension. He hoped each and every last person here got crunched under a Bakugan's foot. He hoped his brother never saw the light of day. He hoped his father had been killed in a gore accident. He hoped his face had been disfigured from his mother's features. He hoped Dan died an early death. He hoped Alice was suffering.

"Crap!" He wanted to hit his head on the nearest brick wall. As if what he'd gotten from her weren't injuries enough, he was begging for more. He couldn't get the girl out of his head.

-x-X-X-x-

Bakugans went on a rampage and the Bakugan Battle Brawlers tried to help as many people as possible. Alice was worried. A dangerous battle had started. Dan and Masquerade had started a duel in a stadium. She wanted them both to win, she wanted them both to be safe but they were trying to kill each other –speaking here in literal terms. They were bleeding, bruised and tearing each other apart. How had things ended up like this? Was this the ultimate battle?

Runo was anxious for Dan but she was even more concerned for Alice. Ever since they'd retrieved her a few days ago she had lost the light that surrounded her, she'd lost her aura, her glow, her Alice-ness. She wasn't the same person anymore. She was dim and had become very slow. Every move that she made now, she seemed to put so much thought into it. Even if you called her name, she responded after a whole minute, always being –seemingly- absorbed in a distant world.

Runo Masaki wasn't stupid. She might be tom-boyish and rude and a bit ignorant and so many other things but she was NOT, absolutely NOT stupid. Alice had started to like Masquerade. Runo was ready to stamp these words on her forehead and march around and scream them, but it wouldn't do anyone any good. It would only seem antagonistic to Alice. Every time Masquerade took a hit during the fight, Alice would jump in her seat and resume with her prayers. Alice hadn't run away because she was a traitor, she had left to clear her head. Or so thought Runo.

Alice was ready to start crying now. The fight was longer than she'd expected and both combatants were thoroughly exhausted but still raging on. And Masquerade was ignoring her like never before. After everything that'd happened she was at the least expecting a small snide remark about herself or something. Instead, he came directly and demanded Dan, then he started fighting and had expertly ignored her existence. It wasn't fair!

Just when things seemed to worsen for Dan … Masquerade stopped fighting. Dan took it as an opening and his Draco defeated Masquerade. But Masquerade remained in his stiff position. The onlookers started cheering and that's when the blonde's eyes slowly moved towards the stadium's seats and met directly with Alice's dark colored ones. Alice had also noticed and she stared back at him. Among all the happy and cheerful faces, she looked odd with a half-dead silent face. She seemed different than before and somehow … more hollow. It was strange to see a beautiful face in such a glum expression, especially when he'd seen it laughing and talking before. It felt so …

_NO!_

The ground seemed to shake and illuminations burst from behind Masquerade. A shadowed figure emerged and everyone looked at it with jaws hanging. It was none other than the lost scientist himself. The masked blonde was also looking at the gray man with a somewhat surprised expression, gradually letting his features twist into anger. He looked most likely about to punch the old figure until-

"GRANDFATHER!" Alice ran down the stairs at an amazing speed and cut right across the trashed battle field to her grandfather. The old man also welcomed her arrival by opening his arms to her and displaying one of his best and heart warming smiles. The strange light that surrounded him didn't seem to faze the girl as she crossed Dan on her path to her lost relative. The old man also moved forward. "Grandfather!" She was ready to leap into his open arms –a hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. Arms firmly curled around her abdomen and she was pressed into a hard chest. She knew it was Dan but the coolness of a metal at the back of her neck made her think otherwise.

"_Not her you sick bastard!_" His voice was hoarse from screaming so many orders in the battle earlier. His arms tightened around her. "…not you" he whispered. Alice was shocked, beyond that actually. Her eyes were on brick of popping out and rolling onto the ground, her face had heated enough to fry an egg and her insides were dislocating themselves to make room for the fluttering butterflies. She tilted her head slightly to get a view of his face… God … her breath hitched. The blood from his cuts was pasting onto her but she didn't notice. She lost herself to his feel. The coolness from the armor he wore and the warmth his arms and body gave her.

She looked away from his hidden face just in time to see her grandfather's face distort and she cringed at the horror of it. It changed color from its natural self to an ugly alien one and suddenly broke into a barrage of maniacal laughter. Then it turned back to its original state and pleaded something from her. "Grandfather!" she broke free of the teen's bonds and dashed for her elder but Masquerade caught her and spun her around. His hands thumped on her shoulder and he shook her roughly.

"Are you out of your mind? You insane or something!" He was yelling at her. She whimpered something in reply. "That's not your old man! Can't you see that?" The girl blinked in a confused manner and tried to say something in defense but he broke out first. "Hal-G is not your grandfather! He's a life sucker! You don't have the protection I have! You touch him and you'll die!" the girl's eyes widened further –if even possible- "… stupid girl…" He shoved her aside and let her crumple on the ground. Masquerade took out an ability card and an attack was instantly aimed at Hal-G.

"NO!"

Dr. Michael changed form just in time and easily parried it. He called out creatures from thin air that went on to attack the blonde. Just as they neared him, he vanished. The creatures then proceeded to the Battle Brawlers. Every Bakugan in the locality went clashing into the nearest one of its kind. Everything was messed up. It seemed like the apocalypse!

-x-X-X-x-

Everything cleared. All business was finished. All battles had ended. The order had won and chaos had been eliminated. Naga had been eliminated. The worlds separated and Bakugans left for good. With all the Bakugans left a certain Brawler.

_Masquerade._

It had been around a month, or maybe more, she couldn't exactly pinpoint. She had decided to stay in Japan as long as her grandfather was working on some project here. It was almost over and they'd be leaving soon. Very soon. He had called earlier in the day and told her to pack her things because they were leaving tomorrow. Too soon.

The weather was bad today. It matched the mood she felt every waking moment. Grey. Dark. Cloudy. She'd lost weight which alarmed the Masaki's because she didn't have much to begin with. Her eating habits had corrupted and she picked on her food majority of the time. More than half the time she'd be lost in some sort of trance. Her eyes had lost their radiance. Even her male fans had noticed the change in her behavior.

Everybody had his happy ending except Alice. Dan and Runo were finally together, Chan Lee and Joe were together, Billy and –oh just drop a bomb on it! The world was just loads of crap! Definition of life: crap! You turn the pages in a dictionary and you'd find a picture of dung on the word 'life'.

And what more to do on a cloudy and near stormy day than to go grocery shopping? Today it was Runo's turn and the girl was somewhere out with Dan, so Alice automatically grabbed the money and list and left. An umbrella was also placed inside the grocery basket. Of course, now she remembered, it was monsoon.

If she went back to Russia, she'd be sure to join the 'Goth' category of teens. She certainly felt very much goth at the moment and vaguely wondered why she hadn't started applying mascara on her lips and nails because she certainly liked dark colors these days.

The girl started out. The trip to the marketplace was the same monotone one and every time she went a small flicker of hope would rise that maybe, just maybe, Masquerade would pop out of nowhere and something would happen. Anything actually. There were no sides now. No conflicting groups and stuff so something could work out. Something had to. Or depression would drive her to her grave if she didn't move on. I mean seriously, the last thing he'd said to her was 'stupid girl'!

It had started raining and she opened the black umbrella. At least it was black otherwise she was certain she'd have tossed it in a puddle and said it flew away in the storm. Yeah, it wasn't just a downpour, it was a friggin' storm! She was stupid to have stepped out in this weather, and now she had to cover the way back too.

She trekked on the sidewalk beside the main road. If a bus moved past she'd be sure to hitch a ride but just her damn luck that not one form of life moved on the road … except her of course. A wild gust blew away her umbrella and she was instantly soaked. The grocery basket flooded with rainwater and she was sure that the change had also taken a dip. What a great day!

A car moved past her, it either didn't notice her or was too busy to. A loud screech emitted and she turned around to see a truck fall on its side and start skidding down the road, the tanker directly coming towards her. The basket dropped, its contents littering the area around her. Was a wish being granted? She was finally dying, but what a bad way to die.

Headlines: Girl out in Storm crushed under Tanker

She closed her eyes. Finally death. She thought that by getting her grandfather back, she would get back everything, all her lost happiness… she didn't know she'd loose more of what she thought she'd get back. When they said 'you don't know the value of something until you loose it' they were so right that she was pissed at the correctness of it. _I love you all._

The tanker skidded and screeched and finally slammed into a tree, missing the red head by inches. She stumbled back from the bang. Her heart was beating furiously and she knew that her cold skin wasn't just because of the rain. She was still living. Was she supposed to feel reborn now?

The rain was still pouring but she wasn't getting wet. She looked up and found herself under the shield of an umbrella. A breath blew behind her ear and she whirled around. The first thing she saw was the reflection of her own face, her own brown eyes blinking back at her.

Her throat dried up and her heart was running a marathon with itself. She opened her mouth trying to say something but nothing came out so she shut it. Then opened it again and tried not to look like a fish out of water.

"Do I get a second chance?"

"Uh…" She finally managed to croak something out of herself. "I'm a horrible person"

His lips tugged upwards. "You're saying my lines" He'd changed. She couldn't point it out exactly but he was somehow … um … different.

"I'm sorry I hit you. I'm very, very sorry. I swear I've been regretting it ever since that day! I don't know how to make it up to you! It was such a horrible thing to do, especially-"

"I look like the grim now don't I?" She blinked and did a double at his attire. The straps of the mask had changed color. His white had turned to a full sleeved black and even underneath was a black shirt and dark jeans. Maybe it was attire that made him look different. It seems like he had adopted her 'goth' 'punk' look before she got a chance to try it out for herself.

Had he grown taller or had her lack of food consumption just shortened the length of her spine?

She bit her inner cheeks and giggled.

The older teen sighed. "Do you think we can we be friends? Um… Never mind that. What I meant was-"

"I understand" She quickly cut in. "I feel the same way" She didn't know what he was talking about but she wanted in. It sounded good. His face perked up at that. He felt so lovable at the moment. She moved forward and planted a quick kiss on the highest point she could reach –which was his chin. It was a small contact that was meant to show affection and ask for an apology.

"Misunderstandings develop when facts are hidden" He quoted something he'd read a few days back. He couldn't have said anything more random or stupid. After a few mental slaps he came to a simple conclusion –one that can only be reached after experience- _Love and fondness makes you do stupid things._ That best explained why he'd banished himself to a void. After all the thinking time that he gave himself, the first thing he wanted to do surprised him, and thus, here he was. "So uh …" A hand went to unclasp the buckle at the back of his head as he kept the umbrella steady with the other. He'd been thinking about this for a long time and finally realized some things. He also figured that she might mistrust him because he kept his face hidden. After all, how can you trust a face you can't see?

She pressed her hands to the top of his mask. "You don't have to" Alice gave him a gentle smile, "I understand" She so wanted to see what his face looked like but it didn't feel right at the moment. She never expected him to return. She was hoping he would but those were dreams, and dreams and realities begged to differ. The fact that he had bothered himself with her again was a sign, _he'd forgiven her_. This was the best thing she could have hoped for many lifetimes to come.

His brows went up his forehead. "But …" Wasn't everyone always curious about his face? Besides, it's not like he had a pretty one to hide. Marks of the work he'd done with Naga had parts of his face scarred pretty badly.

"You can start by telling me your real name"

That had him stunned for a while. Silence. "I can't … remember" Alice blinked. "I like Masquerade though"

"Oh….k"

"You look horrible Alice" The girl pouted. Yes, she hadn't really tried to imagine what she'd look like with her black mascara running down her face. "Anyway" His hand went back to release the clasp, "I want to do this" He let the mask drop to the ground and it cracked at the seam, bits of it breaking away. "I'm going back to Russia. So I want you to see and decide for yourself" He took in a deep breath. "Do you still want to get involved with someone like me?" with his free hand he gestured to his face. "Do you want to be near this face?"

Alice tilted her head to the side. "Your-"

"Yea, kinda lost my sight when that kid punched me. I didn't know it was damaged enough to get blind. I was stupid not to have believed it, I mean, it was glass that'd penetrated it. _Tch_. I was bleeding rivers that day!" He laughed even though she found nothing funny at the moment. "Naga was a good illusionist. I'll give him that much"

Masquerade was blind with one eye. '_Oh God'_. There were some small dark colored lines on his skin around his damaged eye –scars. Permanent marks. The eye itself was also a very faint shade compared to the other one. He was blind with this eye. _Oh God. Oh God._

The other was a brilliant jade which kind of changed shades as his face moved. In their dim surroundings it looked greenish, with olive in the middle and a darker shade circling it. There were flecks of grey or maybe blue, she couldn't be too certain. Alice was instantly curious if his eyes appeared a different color in a brighter atmosphere.

She bit her lower lip. The girl raised her hand and her cold finger traced a fading mark on his cheek. She turned the finger and found a healing mark on it. The hand which had hurt him and ended up hurting itself too. When he smiled, her insides churned. The smile felt at place and a bit unusual, maybe because it was the first time she was seeing him smile without his mask. Her lips tugged into a subconscious smile. He had sharp features, a firm jaw, and definite eye brows. If he had both his eyes, no doubt it would have been a normal face and, though she would never admit it out loud, his face was a tinsy bit soft too, a kind of feminine character, but only from a certain angle.

The marks he had gained, probably far back in his history, stood out on his pale skin. No wonder he started a mask … but then again, a glass one?

"I can't see anything wrong with your face"

Masquerade let out an exasperated laugh. "Who're you trying to kid here?"

"No, honestly. What's wrong with your face?"

He tapped her forehead. "Did my separation madden you?" Well, at least his sense of self-importance still lingered. "Alice, I'm … argh!" He slapped his forehead this time. "If you were Dan, you'd be poking fun at me"

"No" She quickly defended her friend. "Dan isn't like that at all!"

"To tell you the truth, I expected you to have forgotten me by now. And you were supposed to feel revolted about my face" He sighed.

She wondered if he had issues like inferiority complex or something, but then again, if you damage your face you're bound to feel weird. "There's nothing wrong with you" And just to prove her point she curled her arms around his neck and stood on her toe tips in an attempt to peck him, unfortunately, he was too tall for her. The blond dipped his head and finally their lips met. There was a bit of nostalgia but this time, she didn't pull back, rather, he did.

"You don't have to do this just to keep heart. It's like taking advantage you" He mumbled close to her lips but she heard him clearly. Yes, he actually came for a final rejection. Just to prove to himself that when a person puts his whole piece, people don't really like it, they don't like it at all actually. So why was she ruining his theory? He didn't plan on any kisses this time, but when she went for one …well… he kinda had a tini-mini desire to. P.S. her lips weren't warm like he remembered, they were ice cold at the moment.

"You're saying silly things" She laughed.

"So … if I confess, will you hit me?"

She giggled. "No"

Actions speak louder than words.

He released the umbrella and it dropped to the side, he wrapped his arms around her. His head went for a dip and heat met with cold. It was fiery this time and she was trying to keep up with him. He was doing as he willed, doing whatever pleased him and maybe that's why the kiss was full of feel. She didn't know if it was his first time but goddamnit he was doing so well. Her thoughts were jumbled up. She couldn't think straight trying to put effort into their moving lips while trying to decipher other things.

So here was the oddest couple in the worst weather. She had her makeup running down her face, her hair was sticking to her in the wetness and she was bony as a decomposing corpse- in other words, she looked like something that had crawled out of its grave. And he stood towering over her, all the dark clothing matching the weather, his face a reflection of his misdeeds and his pale skin looking unmatched with the build muscle underneath –a grim's frame.

Their lips parted and met so many times and when she started laughing at the bizarreness of the situation, she realized they were both out of breath and panting.

-x-X-X-x-

When Alice entered the family restaurant, she was dripping wet and shivering. The Masaki's instantly ushered her into a hot bath to keep her from catching a cold. Later in the day, all her friends came to give their farewells, despite the horrible storm. They all saw the change in her behavior. They should've guessed that she was homesick all this time. She was so happy now that she was even laughing at bad jokes that Dan pulled.

-x-X-X-x-

Despite the destruction the previous day, the next day was rather peaceful but still cloudy, so minimum flights were delayed. All Alice could think about was home. She was finally going back to her friends, and her homeland. And who knew Masquerade was Russian too? Her mind continuously replayed the scene that occurred yesterday. Her last day in Japan was truly memorable.

"_Come on! Let's see the others!"_

_Masquerade seemed hesitant at her request. "I have some important things to take care of before I do anything else"_

_She frowned. "Like what?"_

"_Well" His fingers gently traced her jaw line. "You were one of them"_

_She was scarlet as she was and now her face practically inflated from all the embarrassment. "Absurd!"_

_He laughed. "Don't worry, I'll come see you when I'm done. You'll have to wait a while" He paused. "Can you do that for me, please?"_

"_Do you know where I live?"_

"_I know where Michael does" He smiled. "You live with him don't you? So, will you wait?"_

_She nodded._

They didn't need words to flaunt the affection they felt, they just felt it and followed it and showed it. Words can never describe anything completely. Words aren't always enough.

Alice was a bit apprehensive about what the blond had said to her but she held onto her faith. She held onto him.

She could wait.

She would wait.

**Alice in Wonderland**

**The End**

**This is the official end of Alice in Wonderland! I now declare the story, closed and completed!**

**Thank you once again to all readers and reviewers. Thank you very much for all the support and reviews!**

**Hahaha! I'm a sucker for happy endings so I guess it kinda had to happen XD They're my favorite couple from this anime and I'd be damned if I didn't pair them up in my first Bakugan fanfic!**

**Thanks for staying till the end! Feedback is appreciated. Lots of love!**

**Even though the story has been declared 'closed' reviews will be welcome till the end of time! Hahaha!**

**~iEXIST**

**So appreciate my existence! :D **


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